


Sunrise

by KrypticReaux



Series: Unbreakable [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: 231 days, Aftermath of Violence, Angst and Fluff, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy!!!, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, MC is my OC, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Romance, Smut, backstory diverges slightly from canon, follow up from my first work, lots of fluff, part 2 of 3 (or more!), psychological abuse recovery, sexual abuse recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-12-08 15:58:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11649909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrypticReaux/pseuds/KrypticReaux
Summary: REWRITE COMPLETE as of 1/3/2018!!!  I hope you enjoy this labor of love! <3This is a continuation of my first work, titled '231 Days'.This story picks up three weeks after MC (Eleanora) rescued Yoosung--who had spent over seven months being held captive by rogue MintEye operative, 'Unknown'.  Badly injured and near death, Yoosung had been rushed to the hospital and required extensive treatment to be stabilized.  Once he had recovered enough to be moved, he and Eleanora were sent to Halcyon Sky, a hospital and rehabilitation facility located in one of the tallest skyscrapers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  This was, of course, courtesy of our favorite ailurophile and corporate heir, Mr. Jumin Han, who believed that this location would be most beneficial to Yoosung's full recovery.At Halcyon Sky, and with Eleanora's unwavering love and support, Yoosung works hard to recover.  Though he remembers little about his months-long ordeal in the hands of Unknown, the psychological scars are lurking just under the surface.





	1. Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> So, here goes my second foray into the world of writing fanfiction! I hope you all enjoy this. This story will probably make a lot more sense if you read my first work, "231 Days". However, I did include a very short back story that will hopefully get you up to speed if you haven't read "231 Days" yet. If you know the game, just consider that this is an extension of Yoosung's 3rd bad end--minus the bratty, self-interested behavior by MC that results in that end, and bundled up into something that will eventually have a happy ending. Overall, this is a story of sacrifice, hope, perseverance, and an unbreakable love that can overcome anything.
> 
> I truly hope you enjoy my story! I am always open to suggestions, ideas, inspiration, and (constructive!!!!) criticism, so leave me a comment if you'd like to share any with me! I love my readers, and I would love to hear what you think!

**Chapter 1:  Darkness**

_January 16th_

* * *

_3:29am_

 

All he could see was darkness. 

His heart was racing as he strained to see something…anything.  

Something was wrong.

_Where was he?_

_Why did his head hurt so much?_

Grabbing his head with his hands, he tried to find the cause of the pain, but found no obvious source.  His head was throbbing in perfect rhythm with his rapidly pounding heart.  His muscles tensed until they ached. 

Overcome with panic, Yoosung spun around, still desperately trying to see anything that could give him a clue to his whereabouts.

His hands reached out blindly; long, slender fingers trembling, as they sought any kind of solid object, while his feet seemed stuck in quicksand.  

_Wait a minute..._

Eleanora.

 _Where was Eleanora?_ The thought of his girlfriend made his heart lurch painfully in his chest.

A dim light slowly appeared in the distance, like the first rays of dawn pressing through a thick mist.  Yoosung struggled to move toward it, but his feet kept getting caught in an invisible mire.  He couldn’t breathe fast enough.  His breaths were shallow and rapid, but his lungs could not keep up with the demand that his exertion was placing on his body.  Each breath felt like searing fire in his chest.

Finally, he neared the light.  Exhausted, and feeling like his lungs and heart were going to collapse under pressure, Yoosung bent slightly, placing his hands on his knees to support himself as he tried to catch his breath.  Every part of him hurt.

Looking up, his violet eyes slowly adjusted to the light.  The diffusely illuminated surroundings did not offer Yoosung any more detail or clue to his situation than the darkness had. 

He once again thought of _her_.  He sensed her presence nearby, and could feel her warmth, but he could not see any trace of her in the nebulous half-light. 

Something felt very wrong, and he was scared.  

When he thought of Eleanora, an overwhelming sense of cold dread flooded through him, and he suddenly felt like his body was being doused in icy water.  He shivered uncontrollably as he felt momentarily frozen in place.

 _“Eleanora!”_  He called out. 

It took unbelievable effort to move the air from his lungs through his lips to form her name.  Despite his best efforts to raise his voice, his words seemed to fall to the ground in front of him, stifled by the thick, suffocating, almost liquid-like atmosphere.

Turning again in an attempt to survey his surroundings, something barely perceptible caught his eye—a small hint of movement in the nondescript mist surrounding him.  Moving toward it, he began to see the form of a person materialize in the hazy distance.  Then, as he approached, still straining painfully with each step as if slugging through thick mud, he could make out the shape of a person.

No..it was two people: a man, and a woman.  More details became discernable as the distance between them closed.

The man had white hair.  The woman had long, brunette hair.

Then, he could make out two glowing, green eyes.  A loathsome smile sliced across the pale face.  The sight of that face plunged Yoosung into a stone-cold terror, momentarily paralyzing him with fear.

It was a face he knew well.  

“M…M…mas….ter…” his trembling lips were cold and pale as the barely-audible whisper struggled to free itself from them.  The broken word felt foreign, yet familiar, and tasted like poison on his lips. 

Despite his gut-twisting terror, he felt compelled to continue trying to move forward through the unseen encumbrance.  Something seemed to be drawing him forward...something he could neither understand, nor control.

As the figures slowly became visible, Yoosung could make out another set of eyes--wide, amber-colored ones that seized at his heart, for they belonged to none other than his beloved Eleanora.

 _“Yoosung!  Help me!!!”_   A plaintive voice called to him.

_Oh God.  He’s got her. No..._

Yoosung’s blood turned to ice in his veins.

“Eleanora!”  Yoosung frantically called back to her.  “Don’t be afraid, honey.  I’m here.  I’ll protect you!”  Pushing through his own fear, he summoned every ounce of courage he could muster in an attempt to reassure her. 

Trying to run toward her, each step became more and more arduous until his legs seemed to become rooted in place.  He struggled painfully with all his might, but he could not get to her.  

_Why couldn’t he move?_

A dark, malevolent laughter cut through the thick, oppressive air like a cold wind, somehow clearing the veil of dense fog to reveal a barren, almost concrete-like landscape, vast and completely empty, and blindingly lit from above by an unseen source.  For a moment, all Yoosung could see was searing, white-hot light, in stark contrast to the frigid atmosphere surrounding him.  His eyes burned, his head reeled, and he suddenly felt nauseous.  

He winced as his eyes adjusted to the light.  Then, he met the terrified gaze of his girlfriend, Eleanora.

Behind her, with one arm tightly wrapped around her neck, and the other hand pressing the barrel of a small, black pistol to the side of her head, stood Unknown.  Eleanora’s shaking hands ineffectually grabbed at the iron-like arm clenched around her neck as she gasped for air.

 _"Yoo...sung..."_  Eleanora struggled to choke out his name, as she reached out toward him with a trembling hand.

The blood drained from Yoosung’s face.  Still frozen in place, he tried to speak, but his lungs seemed to have become an empty void.  All he could hear was silence…no, it was  _less_  than silence; it was as if the air around him and inside him was suddenly vacuumed from existence.  He saw that Unknown was speaking, but he could not make out any words. Yoosung's mind spun and swirled at a breakneck pace; he fought desperately against the feeling that he was about to faint. 

Time slowed to a near-standstill.  Seconds became like minutes…minutes, like hours.  

Then, he sensed the trigger of the gun being pulled backward.  As the mechanisms of the gun gradually engaged to fire in the slowest of slow-motion, Yoosung could clearly perceive each and every miniscule sound.

Click...Click. 

BOOOOOOOOOM! 

The gunshot came as a deafening, continuous roar that ripped through Yoosung's senses, overpowering him.  Clapping his hands tightly to the sides of his head, he watched, as if viewing a horror film frame-by-frame, as the bullet exited the barrel with a small, bright explosion, and entered directly into Eleanora’s temple.  Her mouth dropped open in a silent scream.  Her eyes, still locked onto Yoosung's face, widened and lost their focus, her pupils slowly dilating as the bullet tore through her temporal lobe. 

After a few agonizing seconds, the opposite side of her head exploded outward...blood, and bits of brain tissue, skull fragments, and flesh flying outward from the side of Eleanora’s head.  Her hands sank to her sides as her body went limp.

As the lingering thunder of gunfire died down, Unknown spoke once again...and this time, Yoosung heard the terrifying, familiar voice ringing clearly in his ears.

“THIS IS ON YOU.  _You_ did this to her.  You _promised_ to never leave me, _and you lied._  Unlike you and that red-haired friend of yours _, I keep my promises.”_ he sneered at Yoosung, who was still rooted firmly in place…his face ashen and wide-eyed in shock. 

With a menacing smirk, Unknown released his iron grip on Eleanora, and as she slowly began falling to the ground, time sped up to its usual tempo.  The smirk vanished as Unknown's face darkened.  Without another word, Unknown turned and walked away, his form dissipating like a vapor until he was gone.

Eleanora’s lifeless body hit the ground with a sickening thud.  Blood immediately began pooling around her head.  Her eyes remained wide open in a frozen expression of pain and terror.

She was dead.

No…

_No._

_Oh, no_... Oh, God…no no no no no… _NO!_  

Yoosung frantically dove to get to her, suddenly free of the quicksand-like ground texture that had held him back before.

Dropping to his knees beside her, he gathered her into his arms, his face contorted into unspeakable agony. 

“Baby, I... I'm... I’m so sorry, Eleanora.  Haahh..  I’m so...s...sorry.  God, NO!!!  Please...this can't be happening!”  His voice came in hoarse, anguished groans. 

He placed his hands on both sides of her head, trying in vain to hold her together...comfort her...fix her...save her. 

He knew it was hopeless.  

His Eleanora was gone.

_“I'm so sorry....I couldn’t…I-I couldn’t….protect you...”_

Convulsing and gasping for air through his sobs, Yoosung threw his head back and started to wail—a heart-piercing, soul-wrenching howl of all-consuming grief.

 

 

 _“Yoosung…”_  A soothing voice softly called out to him, little more than a whisper.

 

 

He was unable to hear anything over his own agonized cries.  He could still feel the warmth of her life in the blood that was spilling over the hand he had pressed to her head.  He reached his arms around her and held her lifeless body as he rocked her gently back and forth.

“Eleanora…baby...”  Yoosung sobbed hysterically.

 

 “ _God…oh, God…Please…No…I’m so sorry_ …”

 

 

The soft, distant voice spoke again.

 

 

 

_"Yoosung....can you hear me?"_

 

* * *

 


	2. Illumination

**Chapter 2: Illumination**

January 16th  
3:33am

 

"Yoosung...sweetheart…can you hear me?” 

The soft voice called again, still unheard by the trembling, panicked boy.

“Shhhh... There there, baby.  It’s only a dream.  Wake up for me, sweetie.”

The warmth he felt with his hand became more intense and was now accompanied with a new sensation of gentle pressure grasping his fingers.

“Yoosung, honey...It’s okay.  You’re safe in your bed, and I’m right here with you.  Everything is okay.”  He now felt an arm slipping around his back, a gentle hand stroking his hair.  Another arm gently but firmly gripped him across his chest.  Sweet, delicate kisses fell softly on his tear-streaked cheeks. 

The unbearable, icy terror that had gripped him was slowly loosening its stranglehold, and he gradually became aware of a warm, comforting, loving presence enveloping him like a cozy blanket.  Yoosung felt a strange combination of consolation and confusion as his aching, exhausted brain did its best to work out exactly what was happening.

“It’s okay, baby.  You're having a dream.  Let go of it and wake up.  Everything is okay.  I’m here...I'm here.”  Eleanora’s calm voice, clear and sweet, was whispering softly into his ear with all of the exquisite loveliness of an angelic symphony.  As these words registered in his mind, the horrifying scene that had just played out before him began to dissolve like the last lingering shadows of night in the face of a glorious sunrise.  

Slowly…slowly, Yoosung became aware of his surroundings.  His frantic, pounding heartbeat, his shallow, quick breaths, the cold sweat that clung to his face.  The loving arms wrapped tightly but gently around him.  One hand was slowly stroking his hair, while the other one firmly held his hand, brushing a soft, warm thumb delicately across his knuckles.  The gentle, precious voice murmuring softly and lovingly into his ear, reassuring him that he was okay and, more importantly, that his Eleanora was okay.

As he became fully conscious, his breathing slowed and deepened.  The resulting increase in oxygen supply lessened his headache slightly, and his heart rate slowed to a more normal level.

Yet, he continued to weep softly, and his body still trembled.  Try as his might, he could not un-see what had just played out in his dream—searing itself into his exhausted, overwhelmed mind.

The steady, soothing voice of his girlfriend continued to slowly and gently pull him away from his nightmare.

“…just a dream, sweetheart.  There, there.  I’m right here, and I am not going anywhere.  I love you, Yoosung.  Try to focus, baby.  Focus on the sound of my voice.  Take a deep breath, and try to relax, okay?”  Eleanora lovingly coached him through the process of leaving the nightmare behind, as she had done many times in the last few weeks.

 _“Eleanora…”_   Yoosung sobbed, finally becoming aware enough of his surroundings to speak, “I-I saw you…I s-saw…and you were… _you_...and m- _mast_...hah...h-he… _he..._ oh _God_ …I… _I can’t say it…I can't._ ”  He frantically grabbed at his head with both hands, as if to physically block out the terrifying images.  

She held him a bit tighter, rocking him gently in her arms.  Her heart hurt as she tried desperately to make her sweet Yoosung better—to protect him from this evil, unseen enemy.

For the thousandth time in the last eight months, Eleanora wished with all of her heart that she could take his place.  She couldn't stand to see him hurting, and she would gladly do anything in the world to take his suffering away.  An uninvited lump began to form in her throat, but she swallowed it down.  

She had to be strong, for him--for her sweet angel.  She could at least do that.

“Shhh…everything is okay, baby.  Whatever it was that you saw, it’s not real.  It was only a dream.  You're here with me, and you are safe.  I’m right here with you.  I love you so much, and I’m not going to leave you.  Ever.  And I’m never going to let anyone hurt you.”  She tilted her head toward Yoosung, her lips meeting the side of his forehead, near his hairline.  She planted several soft kisses as she continued to softly stroke his hair.  His muscles relaxed somewhat as her lips and nose nuzzled his head tenderly, peppering kisses along the way.  
  
“I...l-love you, Eleanora.”  His voice was still quite shaky, and punctuated by a loud sniffle, but his declaration was both ardent and sweet.

“I love you too, my angel."

Yoosung reached over Eleanora's arm and took her hand into his, squeezing it tightly. 

Eleanora carefully climbed into the hospital bed next to her boyfriend, who was recovering from a seven-month-long ordeal where he had been held captive by a rogue operative, calling himself “Unknown”, from a cult organization known as MintEye.  For 231 days, he had been subjected to horrific abuse at the hands of a deranged madman, who found some kind of a release from his own immense suffering by inflicting it upon his hapless prisoner.

Yoosung had ended up there by accident—he had insisted upon accompanying his friend, known as 707, or Seven, in an attempt to identify and neutralize the danger posed by the MintEye cult to a charity organization that they—and Eleanora—belonged to, known as Rika’s Fundraising Association, or RFA for short.  Nobody understood exactly why MintEye meant to harm the RFA or any of its members, but it was suspected that they sought to steal sensitive information about the RFA’s contacts—which included some very powerful and influential people—and recruit them into their shadowy organization.

Seven and Yoosung had successfully infiltrated the cult’s headquarters, eliminated the danger to the RFA—and Eleanora, in particular—and seized vital information from the cult’s computers that would end any future threats.  However, the victory came at a heavy price.  Yoosung, who had been adamant about accompanying Seven so that he could protect the girl he loved, was captured, and immediately relocated to a secret location, where he was made to endure unspeakable suffering for his captor's enjoyment for over seven months.  Despite unprecedented search efforts, he was gone without a trace.

That is, until a Christmas miracle led Eleanora straight to him. 

After single-handedly tracking his location by hacking into MintEye’s communications network, she staged a dangerous...some might even say _foolish_...unilateral bid to save Yoosung.  Even more miraculously, was successful in rescuing him from his makeshift prison in the cellar of an abandoned farm, deep in the remote, rural highlands.  

However, Yoosung was critically injured, and nearly died before he could be brought to a hospital.  He was, in fact, considered clinically dead when he arrived at the hospital, but…miraculously…he was revived. 

The first couple of days were touch-and-go, but Yoosung gradually stabilized.  A couple of weeks after he arrived at the hospital in grave condition, he was well enough to be transferred to Halcyon Sky, a hospital and medical resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  This, of course, was arranged and paid for by Jumin Han, fellow RFA member and wealthy corporate heir. 

“My company is a major shareholder in this resort.  I spent several days there ahead of its grand opening three years ago, so I can personally attest to the quality of the place.  The dry, warm climate will be beneficial to Yoosung’s recovery, and the relaxing atmosphere will be rejuvenating for the mind.  Besides, you both deserve a getaway after what you’ve been through,” Jumin had told Eleanora when he initially discussed the plans with her.

Halcyon Sky, located in the topmost floors of one of the tallest skyscrapers in the vast desert city on the coast of the Persian Gulf, was so extravagant that Eleanora and Yoosung barely felt at home there at first.  The facility was one of the world’s most advanced medical centers—with a full-service rehabilitation center, physical therapy services, mental health services, and five-star spa and resort facilities and amenities.  It was staffed with some of the most renowned minds in medical science; doctors and medical professionals from all over the world practiced there.  Places like this catered to some of the world’s richest people as they sought to recover from illness, injury, addiction, and other matters of health.

Yoosung had a private room, which included a beautifully-appointed guest suite for Eleanora.  His room was one of the finest available at the facility—some of its prior occupants included heads of state, A-list celebrities, and some of the most fabulously wealthy people from around the world.  It had a private patio deck overlooking the city and coastline…which had access to one of the building’s three infinity pools.  Medical staff, room service and concierge were available 24 hours a day.  The room itself was luxurious and comfortable, in addition to having all of the features of an ordinary hospital room.  Eleanora couldn’t begin to guess how much Jumin must have spent on a month-long stay at this place, but she was certain that he had dropped an obscene amount of money on the very best facility in the world for Yoosung’s recovery.

In the five days that they had already been there, Yoosung had been receiving daily physical therapy treatments, which were designed to rebuild the strength and muscle mass lost during his seven-month ordeal.  Once he got the cast off of his broken leg, which was scheduled for next month, he would begin occupational therapy to regain his strength and range of motion in that leg. 

The physical therapy sessions were grueling, but the results were already beginning to show.  He was still unable to stand on his own for more than a few minutes, but it seemed that he could last a couple more minutes each day.  It broke Eleanora’s heart to see him struggle through the exercises, especially when he was clearly in pain.  He worked very hard, often pushing himself to the point of tears.

Then, there were the nightmares.  Yoosung was seeing a therapist three times a week and, throughout these sessions, he could never recall more than bits and pieces of the horrors he lived through during those seven months of hell.  He bore the physical reminders—the old scars and the newer wounds that were still healing…including the stab wound to his abdomen that nearly killed him—but his mind seemed to have sealed away most of the memories from his consciousness as a means of coping. 

This reflexive self-protection mechanism, however, did not save him from the horrors that would invade and violate his subconscious mind at night.  Sometimes, actual repressed memories would replay in his mind, but other times, he would experience a twisted new version of actual events, or his brain would formulate a new scenario from things threatened to him by his captor…such as harm being done to Eleanora. 

Those were the worst...and it would sometimes take days for Yoosung to mentally recover from these types of nightmares.  These dreams were a major focus of his counseling sessions, and the primary reason that Eleanora usually slept on the sofa in Yoosung’s room, pulled close so that it was within arm’s reach of his bed—so that she could be nearby to quickly get to him when he was being held hostage by his terrible dreams. 

A few minutes had passed since Eleanora had gently pulled Yoosung from the wreckage of his latest nightmare.  She lay next to him, holding him tightly in her arms, still stroking his hair softly with her hand.  He was mostly calm, his face nuzzled against her neck, but his body still shuddered with occasional aftershocks and sharp, ragged breaths. 

“Are you awake, baby?”  She whispered.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice still a little raspy.  “I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to sleep after that.  I’m…I’m so sorry I woke you up… _again_ ,” he sighed despondently.

His apology struck a raw nerve for Eleanora.

“Oh...my sweetheart…Please stop apologizing to me.   Since Christmas, you’ve been saying ‘sorry’ for everything, as if any of this is your fault.  You have _absolutely nothing_  to apologize for.”

“I’m sorry…” mumbled Yoosung, before he could catch himself.  He looked up at her, eyes wide as his hand flew to his mouth.

 _“Yoosung...”_  an exasperated Eleanora sighed. 

Yoosung groaned in frustration.  “I can’t really help it, Eleanora.  I just feel so bad about... _everything_.  All of this.  I feel so…so pathetic.  I was supposed to  _protect_ you, not become your burden.  I...”

His words were stopped by Eleanora’s finger being pressed lightly to his lips.  His eyes widened as they met her intense gaze.

“Shhhh.  Stop.  Just stop right there.” Eleanora sat up, turning to face Yoosung so she could look him in the eyes.  Placing her hands tenderly on either side of his face, she moved her thumbs gently across his cheeks, wiping away his tears as she spoke lovingly, but firmly.  “You need to remember something very, _very_ important.  I've told you this before—and I will remind you as often as I have to…10, 50, 100 times a day, if need be.  Whatever it takes.”

Eleanora reached down and took both of Yoosung’s hands into hers.  “Yoosung.   _I. LOVE. YOU_.  I need for you to fully understand this.  _I love you..._ for everything you are, and everything you’ve done—for me, for our friends, and for countless others.  You sacrificed  _everything_ —you forfeited your life, and damn near lost your life—all to keep us safe.....to keep  _me_  safe.  You were gone all that time, and you went through so much.  I didn’t know where you were, if you were alright, or if I'd ever see you again.  I felt so helpless, especially when everyone else started giving up.”

Yoosung stared at her as she poured out her heart.  His shining violet eyes flickered, almost luminescent, as they caught the soft glow of the city lights from the nearby window.

Eleanora continued. “The entire time you were gone, it was like I was dead inside.  I might just as well have been dead.  I never slept, rarely ate, and spent every waking moment looking for something… _anything_ —the tiniest clue or trace—that could possibly lead me to you.  I was fully prepared to spend the rest of my life looking for you.  A life without you was no life at all.  What else could I possibly do?”  Her voice was beginning to choke up as she relived the horrible, aching emptiness; the fear, the worry, and the despair she experienced during those awful months.

“But then, all of a sudden, I found you.  And then…I watched you die right before my eyes.”  Her voice grew low as the memory overwhelmed her.   She blinked, trying to sweep away her tears, but instead, they spilled freely onto her hot, flushed cheeks. 

She paused, closing her eyes.  She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through pursed lips, as if delicately blowing the fluff from a dandelion. 

Yoosung reached up his hand and gently brushed away her tears with the backs of his fingertips.

Gathering her words again, she continued. “Watching you lay, lifeless, in that hospital bed, with machines and tubes and wires keeping you alive…not knowing if you’d ever wake up…or if you’d still be  _you_ , even if you did wake up…that was the most agonizing, helpless feeling… _hahh_ ”  Once again, emotion threatened to overthrow her composure completely.  

 _“Eleanora…”_   Yoosung whispered, his own eyes glistening as he listened in silence. 

“The fact that you are alive right now, and right here beside me, is a  _miracle_.  Yes, you have a long way to go to get past everything that’s happened.  But the fact that you’re here, and you are on the path to recovery, is something that I will _never_ take for granted.   _I will never take YOU for granted. Ever."_

“What I'm trying to say is that I want the chance to be there for you...to be  _with_ you...through ALL of this.  The good parts, the bad parts, the scary parts, the painful parts…all of it.  _I love you,_ and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it—over and over again—as many times as I possibly can, by being by your side through everything.   _You are not a burden, Yoosung._   You will NEVER be a burden to me.  You are my  _hero_ , my _miracle_ , my  _champion_ , my  _treasure_ , my  _angel_ , my  _heart_.  My sweet, sweet Yoosung.  Don’t ever apologize for any of this.”

Yoosung squeezed Eleanora’s hands, his shining amethyst eyes gazing into hers.  His voice was rough with emotion. “I love you, my precious girl…”

Eleanora leaned over and kissed Yoosung on the forehead. “I love you too, my baby-angel.  So, _so_ very much.” 

Yoosung grinned adorably at Eleanora’s special nickname for him (and she was the only one allowed to call him that).

Taking another deep, ragged breath, Eleanora gazed out of the massive windows at the desert city lights below.  A shining silver crescent moon illuminated the deep indigo velvet sky above, while millions of stars jealously tried to compete with the moon’s brilliance.  Several minutes of comfortable silence passed.

“Hey, sweetheart?" Eleanora suddenly asked.

"Yeah?"  Yoosung replied.

"Are you sleepy?”  

“Not really,” he responded.  “Why do you ask?”

“Wanna go for a walk on the sky concourse?”

“Sure.  A change of scenery would be nice.”

Eleanora got up, slipped on her shoes, and brought Yoosung’s wheelchair to the side of his bed.  Locking the wheels into place, she stood next to the chair and supported him as he stood next to his bed on his good leg, swiveled around, and carefully sat in his chair.  She then raised the leg rest for his injured leg—still in the cast that each of his friends in the RFA had signed a few weeks ago—and pulled a small throw blanket off of his bed for him to cover up with.  Then, she unlocked the wheels and slowly pushed him toward the door of his room.

The sky concourse was a long, wide corridor that ran along the side of the building.  The interior wall of the concourse featured a collection of small restaurants, cafes, gift shops, and amenities such as nail and hair salons, a day spa, a movie theater, a mini-golf course, and other things to do.  Two floors of medical offices overlooked the open concourse, each floor with its own walkway access.  The other side of the concourse was a three-story, uninterrupted, floor-to-ceiling window offering a majestic view of the glittering city and the expansive desert beyond.  The ceiling was also three stories high, and featured sculptures that were lit up in different colors.  It was a gorgeous sight at night, when the lights would reflect in the glass window and project colors around the quiet, darkened area.

Eleanora liked to take Yoosung out here at night, when there was hardly any other people around, and she often did this after he woke up from a bad dream.  The view was spectacular enough to push away even the most awful thoughts, and she found that he usually felt much more relaxed afterward.

They came to the end of the concourse, where there was a large observation area.  Parking Yoosung’s wheelchair next to a chair facing the window, she sat next to him, leaning in close enough to hear his breathing.  Hand in hand, they sat quietly and stared at the vast expanse of cityscape that lay at their feet.

 

* * *

January 16th  
6:49am 

 

Eleanora slowly opened her eyes.  Violet-blue light, kissed with pink, poured gently through the plate glass window in front of her, illuminating the sleeping buildings, still snuggled peacefully in a thick blanket of fog.  She hadn’t seen anything quite so beautiful.

That is, until she looked to her left, at the unruly mop of blond hair—with thick brown roots—lying against her shoulder.  Yoosung was sleeping soundly, his breaths slow and calm, and his hand still grasping hers tightly.  Leaning slightly forward as not to disturb her sleeping angel, she gazed at his face.  He looked so peaceful, a far cry from the terror that was etched into his features just a few hours ago. 

She was so overcome with love for this beautiful, precious boy…so overwhelmed with gratitude that she was given the chance to share her life with him, against seemingly impossible odds…that her heart physically hurt in the sweetest way imaginable.  A tear spilled onto her cheek before she had a chance to blink it away.

Not wanting to wake him—she knew that he still needed all the rest he could get—she settled back into the comfortable chair, and watched the shadows slowly blush as the sun awoke on the eastern horizon.

“Mhhmmm…”  Yoosung stirred.

“Good morning, dearest…”  Eleanora sang softly into his ear, as she gave his hand a squeeze.

“Good morning, my love,” Yoosung said sleepily, his eyes still closed, but a tiny smile played across his lips as he greeted her.  Eleanora melted every time she saw that sweet little smile.

“I didn’t mean for us to doze off here.  Did you sleep okay?” Eleanora asked.

“Actually, I did.  I just have a bit of a kink in my neck, but it’s not bad,”  Yoosung said as he stretched.  "What time is it?"

“It's almost seven.  Let’s get back to your room.  Breakfast should be there in a few minutes.”

They made their way slowly back down the sky concourse and down the corridor to Yoosung’s room.

 

* * *

 


	3. Milestones

**Chapter 3:  Milestones**

January 20th  
2:07pm 

 

“Come on, sweetie.  You’ve got this!”  Eleanora whispered as she stood directly in front of Yoosung, while he held himself upright between the parallel bars.  He was practicing standing up straight and doing exercises to develop his core strength after losing much of his muscle mass to long-term malnutrition and the lack of freedom of movement. 

Although the knife wound on his abdomen was mostly healed, it was still quite painful to use the muscles that had been damaged and reconstructed in surgery a month ago.  There had also been significant nerve damage in the area that caused ongoing pain and numbness.  It was important to use the muscles in the area to help with the healing process, but it was painful, arduous work.

After nearly an hour of working out, his face was flushed, and tiny beads of sweat clung to his forehead, dampening the edges of his hair.  Eleanora stood directly in front of him, her arms outstretched toward him, and her hands hovering steadily just above his hips.  She was there to encourage him, but also to catch him if he needed support. 

Her eyes stayed locked on his face, which was cinched in determined concentration.  His eyes stared straight ahead, his jaw line firmly set in his resolve to complete the task at hand.  He looked almost angry as he focused every ounce of his energy into his exercises. 

Eleanora could tell that he was fatigued and in a lot of pain, and it broke her heart.  For as much as she wanted him to stop and rest, she knew how important it was for him to push just a bit further each day.  That’s how progress is made.

The physical therapist, named Nasir—a muscular, dark-skinned older man with a kind smile—was keeping track of time on a stopwatch.

“Okay, Yoosung….you’re doing great…keep it up….just a few more seconds…..aaand…..that’s it!  You’re all done.  That’s ten seconds longer than yesterday.  Great job!  You’re making amazing progress,” Nasir beamed at Yoosung, who was being helped to his wheelchair by Eleanora.  Her arm was tightly wrapped around his waist, supporting his back, and his arm draped across her shoulders.  He was so exhausted.

Once Yoosung was seated, Eleanora knelt in front of him and gently blotted his flushed face with a cool, damp cloth.

“You did great, baby,” she said, continuing to dab the sweat from his face, “I’m so proud of you!  You are getting better faster than any of the doctors said you would."  Smiling, she added, "They all underestimated my Superman Yoosung.” 

He gave her a tired smile.  “Only because you’re here with me,” he said breathlessly.  The angelic expression on his face was enough to melt her heart. 

_Oh, how she loved her Yoosung._

Eleanora began to push Yoosung in his chair toward the door that led out to the sky concourse.  Nasir walked alongside them.

“Alright, Mr. Kim.  Your homework tonight is to relax and get some rest.  You’ve definitely earned it today.  I’ll see you back here tomorrow, and I think I’ll go a bit easier on you after all the hard work you put in today.  I hope you know that you are one of my best patients!”  He smiled broadly at Yoosung as he lavished praise on him.  Turning to Eleanora, he added, “I know his success is in large part due to your love and encouragement.  Keep up the great work, Miss Eleanora.”

“You’re right, Nasir” Yoosung agreed, “I couldn’t do any of this without her.”  Eleanora leaned down and kissed the top of Yoosung’s head. 

 

* * *

January 26th  
10:49am

 

Yoosung continued to make rapid progress in his physical therapy.  He was now ready to start walking on his own with the help of crutches; his broken leg still needed a little more time in the cast.

“Ready to get rid of that chair?” Nasir asked as he made some adjustments to the crutches.  “I think these settings will suit your height.  Let’s give them a try and see what you think.”

Yoosung stood up from his chair, balancing on his good leg as he tucked the tops of the crutches under his arms.  “I haven’t used these since I broke my ankle playing soccer in 4th grade,” he said as he awkwardly adjusted their position under him.  Eleanora stood behind him, a bit nervous, and ready to catch him if he lost his balance.

“Okay, let’s see you go over to the wall, then come back,” Nasir instructed.

Slowly at first, but gaining speed as he got the hang of it, Yoosung completed the task given to him.

As he got himself turned around and headed back toward Nasir and Eleanora, Yoosung said, “I guess it’s kind of like riding a bicycle.  Once you learn how, you don’t forget.”  

He made the return trip in half the time.

“As always, impressive progress,” Nasir observed with a grin.  “I wish all of my patients responded to treatment and picked up skills as quickly as you do.”

As Yoosung returned to the spot where Nasir and Eleanora were standing, Eleanora could not contain her happiness at seeing him standing on his own.  She ran to him—careful not to knock him over—and threw her arms around his neck.  Letting go of the hand grips, but keeping the crutches tucked under his arms, Yoosung returned her embrace.  Reaching around her, he pressed his hands into her back, pulling her close.  Eleanora rested her head against his chest, breathing in his intoxicating essence as he held her tightly.  Yoosung placed his hand gently under her chin, lifting her head so that her face was gazing into his.  Slowly, his hands cradled around her head, pulling her into a long, passionate kiss. 

 _“Beautiful…”_ Nasir regarded the couple reverently, clasping his hands together fervently with a broad smile.

After a moment, Yoosung and Eleanora returned to earth.  Both faces were blushed crimson.

“Sorry, Nasir,” Eleanora tried to express her apology for being rude, but couldn’t hide her love-struck smile.

“Not at all, my dear.  Never apologize for your love.  This is exactly what is helping Yoosung to heal so fast...and so well.  Yours is, by far, the most rewarding case I’ve ever managed.”

“Whoa…I’m feeling a little dizzy,” Yoosung said suddenly.  Eleanora quickly secured him in her arms, and Nasir rushed to support his other side.  Together, they eased Yoosung into a nearby chair.

Eleanora sat next to him, her arm wrapped protectively around his shoulders, as Nasir brought him a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” Yoosung gratefully sipped the water.

“Are you okay, baby?” Eleanora asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I just got a bit overwhelmed.  Too much, too soon, I guess.”

“You have to watch that,” Nasir said.  “I’d stick with only one major exertion at a time for now.” He said with a laugh.

 

* * *

 


	4. There's No Place Like Home

**Chapter 4: There's No Place Like Home**

February 5th  
4:16pm

 

“Everything is healing nicely, Yoosung.  I’m very pleased with your progress.   _‘Amazed’_ might actually be a better word for it.”

Yoosung was sitting on the edge of a leather-covered examination table, dressed comfortably in a loose pair of gray knit sweatpants and a white cotton t-shirt.  Eleanora sat in a chair next to him, while he was being evaluated by Dr. Hammond—a tall, slender gentleman with dark, flowing, shoulder-length hair that was just barely sprinkled with streaks of silver.  He spoke in a soft, kind voice that was laced with an English accent.  He was a friend of Jumin’s, who was recommended to oversee Yoosung’s care while he was at Halcyon Sky.

“The fibula and tibia are both looking good,” he said, indicating a new x-ray image being displayed on a large video monitor on the wall, “but I’d like to wait a just few more days before removing the cast, just to be safe.  The abdominal wound has also healed well, with surprisingly little damage to the intestines and abdominal wall muscles.  There's a lot of nerve damage in that area, and it will take time for the nerves to slowly rewire themselves.  So, don’t be surprised or alarmed if you have some pain, tingling, and even some numbness in that area for some time.”

“Your blood levels have just about returned to normal.  Your iron numbers have been very low for quite a while, but this last reading is just within normal range.  Similarly, your lipids, proteins, and blood counts are also within normal range.  Keep eating proper meals, and get plenty of sunshine to keep your vitamin D levels up, and you’ll continue to do well and get stronger.”

Dr. Hammond referred to his chart for a moment.

“It looks like Nasir has given a glowing report on your physical therapy progress.  He tells me he’s ‘impressed’, and impressing him is no small feat.  You’re getting around really well on your crutches, and your muscle tone has greatly improved.  He must have been working you over pretty hard!” 

“Yes, he really has,” Eleanora agreed, as Yoosung nodded vigorously.

“I believe it!  He’s one of the best in the business,” Dr. Hammond chuckled, then continued, “Overall, I am, like Nasir, quite impressed with how far you’ve come in such a relatively short period of time.  Just looking at your chart alone, it would be hard for me to believe that you’ve come this far so fast, had I not witnessed it firsthand.”

Yoosung smiled.  He had been working so hard to recover and build his strength back up, and it felt good for his efforts to be recognized by his doctor.  It felt even better for him to look at Eleanora, who was beaming at him with pride shining brightly in her eyes. 

He loved her so much, and he knew that he would not have made it this far without her loving him, supporting him, and encouraging him every step of the way.  He was determined to make a full recovery as quickly as possible for the girl he loved, so that they could build a future together.

“Once we get the cast off, we can see how well you can walk unassisted.  Depending on how that goes, you might need a few more sessions with Nasir to make sure you have full range of motion.  Once everything looks good—and I’m sure it won’t take long, considering the rate of progress you've demonstrated so far—I’ll be happy to put in the order to release you from care, and you can go home.”  Dr. Hammond said with a smile. 

Eleanora felt elated at the thought of being able to bring her sweet boy home, whole and well.  She beamed excitedly at Yoosung, but he seemed lost in thought, an odd look washing over his face.  She couldn't quite interpret his subtle shift in expression, but she got the distinct impression that all was not well in her sweetheart's mind.

Once the visit was over, Eleanora helped Yoosung up and onto his crutches, and they made their way out of Dr. Hammond’s office and into the beautiful sky concourse. 

The view that day was incredible—the city below was completely obscured by thick clouds, with only the tops of the other skyscrapers breaking through, giving the feeling of being on an island on a sea of fog.  The graceful, tapered Burj Khalifa towered like an elegant, silver monarch over the other buildings, dwarfing them.  The sky above was impossibly blue. 

Eleanora paused by the railing to admire the sight, but Yoosung barely noticed.  His mind had been directed elsewhere by a single word.

 _Home_. 

It had been so long since Yoosung had seen his apartment.  He couldn’t remember the last time he paid the rent on it—did he still  _have_ an apartment to go home to?  If he lost his apartment, then what happened to all of his things?  What about his computer—the expensive gaming system that he had bought for himself after months of scrimping and saving up?  What if his things were kept by the landlord, and sold to pay his rent?  What if he had nothing left—his clothes, his books, his keepsakes from his parents, his cousin—all gone?  Dark clouds of worry darkened his face.  

He hadn't noticed that Eleanora had shifted her attention from the sunset, and was watching him with great concern.

“Yoosung?  What’s wrong, sweetie?”  The unsettling thoughts running amok in Yoosung’s head were interrupted by Eleanora’s query.  He felt her hand lightly press into his back, rubbing light, comforting circles.  He loved it when she did this; it always caused an instant, involuntary release of tension in his muscles.  It was just what he needed at the moment... _how did she always know?_

Redirecting his thoughts, he clumsily attempted to give Eleanora an answer.  “Huh?  Oh, i-it’s nothing.  I’m…I’m fine,” he stammered, shifting uncomfortably on his new crutches. 

Eleanora looked so happy after leaving Dr. Hammond’s office, and Yoosung didn’t want to burden her with his negative thoughts. 

His attempt at covering up his feelings failed miserably. 

Eleanora narrowed her eyes slightly, then shook her head.

“Um...nope.  I’m not buying that, Yoosung.  It’s obvious that _something_ is troubling you.  Please tell me what it is.  I want to help,” Eleanora urged.

“But--you seem really happy, and I don’t want to bring down your good mood.”  Yoosung stared down at the floor.

“Well, I can’t be in a good mood if you are worried.  So, regardless of whether you talk to me or not, I’m going to be concerned about you.  You may as well tell me what’s on your mind.  Then, at least I can help fix whatever is bothering you.  Let’s go find a nice, quiet place to talk, okay?”  Gazing up at him, she tenderly brushed an errant section of tousled hair from his forehead.  He managed a half-hearted smile.

“Okay…” he said with a small sigh.  They got into the elevator—which looked more like a work of art than a functioning part of the building’s structure—all glass and gleaming metal, with an uninterrupted view of the sky concourse and the breathtaking vista beyond the expanse of plate glass.

Moments later, they were sitting together on a small sofa in a remote corner of the observation area at the end of the concourse.  Eleanora, turning to face Yoosung, took both of his hands into hers and gazed into his stunning amethyst eyes, illuminated by the abundant afternoon sunshine streaming through the expansive windows.

“Alright, sweetheart.  What’s going on?  Why do you seem so troubled all of a sudden?”

Yoosung broke eye contact, and looked down at the marble floor, frowning.

“Dr. Hammond said I’d be ready to go home soon,” he said softly.

Eleanora was puzzled. “Yes, he did.  But…isn’t that a  _good_  thing?”

“Of course it is.  _But_ …I'm kinda afraid…that…that I might not have anything to go back to.”

“What do you mean, baby?” Eleanora stroked the backs of his hands with her thumbs, trying to give him some comfort.  She couldn’t stand for him to be upset.

“I don’t remember the last time I paid rent on my apartment.  It’s been close to a year since I’ve even seen my place.  What if my apartment is gone, and all of my things are gone?  What will I do?”

 _Ah...this_ was something she could answer for him, and hopefully set his mind at ease.  Eleanora smiled with relief, a knowing smile slowly spreading across her face. 

“Oh, my love.  You have nothing to worry about.  All of your things are perfectly safe, I promise.  I can tell you exactly where all of your stuff is.  Your computer, your clothes, your books…all of it, completely safe.”

Yoosung looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes, “Really?"

“Yep!  Here's what happened:  For the first couple of months that you were…gone…Seven paid all of the bills on your apartment.  But, after a while, Jaehee and I arranged to have your things packed up and put into storage.  There was no point in paying for your apartment if you were not there to live in it.  The plan was that, when you came home, all of your things would be safe and waiting for you, and you would get a new apartment.” 

Eleanora hesitated before continuing, nervously weighing whether she should present the other option she had been considering.  “ _Or_ …” her voice lowered a bit and she swallowed hard, “you could… _possibly_...move in with me…if you want to, that is.”  She looked back up timidly at Yoosung’s face, anxious for his reaction to her rather bold suggestion.

Yoosung stared at her, his mouth falling open a bit.  A hint of blush spread across his cheeks.

“Wh-what?  You mean…like… _live_ …with…you?  As in, _you and me_...actually l-living… _together?”_    He stammered, looking away quickly.  

Eleanora was having difficulty gauging his reaction.  _Did he like the idea, or was he terrified of it?_   She couldn’t tell, and this terrified her. 

“Oh…uh…Y-you don’t have to…if you don’t want to.  It’s entirely up to you.  You don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”  Her mind raced as her words spilled out in a tangled rush.  

Yoosung was gawking at the floor, mouth slightly agape, looking like his brain was about to short-circuit.  His face was so red, it almost glowed.

 _Oh God, he hates the idea of living with me_ , she thought, a pit forming in her stomach.  _What was I thinking, being so forward?!_   Eleanora cringed at her own impulsive stupidity.  

Scrambling into damage-control mode, she quickly tried to recover the situation.  “I-it’s okay, honey--we can get you another apartment…in the same building you lived in before, if you want…we might even be able to get the exact same one.  We can put everything back exactly as it was before.  Like you were never gone.”

Yoosung looked at her, blinking as if to refocus his stunned gaze.  “Huh? _W-wait_ …n-no...Eleanora, that's not what I meant!"  Yoosung's eyes darkened as his face turned an even darker shade of crimson. 

 _Is it possible to self-combust from blushing?_ Eleanora worried briefly. 

"I didn’t…I mean…I’m…I-I'd," Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and finally found his words.  "…I’d love to live with you, Eleanora.”  Yoosung quickly shifted his gaze downward, then back up to Eleanora, giving her an adorable, shy little smile.  

Eleanora’s heart leapt into her throat.  Overjoyed, she launched herself into his arms, knocking his crutches to the floor behind him with a noisy clatter.

“I was afraid you hated the idea,” she said as she buried her face into his neck.  She breathed him in, savoring his delicious, natural essence, before planting a long, sensual kiss just below his ear.  She had been dreaming of kissing him this way for a long time.  In this moment, her inhibitions melted away in the fading sunlight.  Yoosung inhaled sharply, almost a gasp, at the unexpected, but delicious sensation. His hands found their way around her waist. 

Emboldened by his reaction, Eleanora slowly traced her lips downward toward his collarbone, leaving a trail of soft kisses along the inside of his shirt collar.  With a barely audible moan, Yoosung closed his eyes, instinctively tilting his head slightly, offering more of his sensitive neck to her.  Eleanora had never felt more affected by him, and she wanted _more_.

“N-no…I…mhmm…love…I mean…I want to….ahhh…”  He stuttered, barely managing to string words together.  He fumbled his fingers into her hair, gently guiding her face up to his. 

“Please, Eleanora...k-kiss me…” he begged timidly as their lips met.

Eleanora wanted to consume all of him on the spot.  She caught his lower lip in her teeth, holding it gently as she sucked on it.  Yoosung whimpered softly into her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer to him.  Letting go of his lip, she opened her mouth to him, exploring him with her tongue.  He tasted so sweet, like the nectar of springtime honeysuckle.  

“Ahem…”

The spell was suddenly broken by a voice behind them.  Yoosung froze, and Eleanora slowly turned around.  There stood a young brunette lady in a white uniform…a member of the staff.

She spoke in a soft voice with a beautiful, rich Arabic accent.  “I do apologize for the interruption, but I’m afraid that it is against Halcyon Sky policy to engage in excessive public affection in the common areas of the resort.”

“Oh, uh...sorry…it just kind of…happened….” Eleanora stammered uncomfortably, her face reddening rapidly

“I understand, Miss Eleanora.”  The lady nodded with a sympathetic and knowing smile.  “Again, I’m very sorry for having to disturb you.  You’re more than welcome to carry on your conversation in a more… _private_  setting.”  The lady finished with an almost imperceptible wink.  Eleanora blushed even more at the suggestion.

 _Yes, that actually sounds lovely._   She responded, silently, in her mind.  

Outwardly, Eleanora answered with a smile and a polite “thank you.”

With a quick, smiling nod, the lady turned and made a hasty retreat, leaving the flustered couple alone once again.

Eleanora looked at Yoosung, who had not moved through the entire exchange.  His face was plastered with an impossibly adorable expression of pure bliss, and a goofy little smile lit up his delectable, and slightly puffy, pink lips.  It was all Eleanora could do to keep from devouring him again.

“Baby, uh...we should probably go…um…back to your room.”  Her voice was low and carried a hint of urgency as she struggled to put words together.

“Uh-huh” Yoosung slowly opened his eyes, but only to stare dreamily into space.

“…Yoosung?  Planet earth to Space Cadet Yoosung…come in, Yoosung.  Honey, are you okay?”

“Uh-huh…Umm…I’m…uh…okay.  I’m good.”  He finally focused his eyes on Eleanora’s face, and reached a hand up to caress her cheek.  Eleanora closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.  She felt a delicious tightening deep in her gut that she had never felt before.  It was taking all of her willpower to keep from pouncing on him right then and there.

“Let’s carry on this...uh...conversation…in your room, okay?”  The urgency in her voice was unmistakable.  She needed him—now.

“Okay.  Help me up?”  He held out his hands as Eleanora jumped up, took his hands, and pulled him to a standing position.  Once again, their eyes met, their lips just inches apart.  Both of them could sense the sparks of electricity sizzling between them, pulling them together like an electromagnet.  Fighting the powerful urge to kiss him again, which would likely be her undoing, she picked up his crutches that had tumbled to the floor, and helped him get them into position.

The walk back to the room was agonizingly slow.  Silence, broken only by the rhythmic click of Yoosung's crutches on the marble floor, was their only companion as the rest of the world around them dissolved into obscurity.

 

* * *

 


	5. Revelations

**Chapter 5: Revelations**

February 5th  
5:58pm 

 

Eleanora placed her palm—trembling ever so slightly with nervous anticipation—on the plate next to the door to Yoosung’s room.  A green light flashed, the lock disengaged with a click, and she pushed the door open.  Moving to the inside, she held the door open so that Yoosung could enter.  The door then swung shut with a soft click as the lock engaged once again.

The room was dimly lit; the lights were off, save for the warm glow of a small lamp in the corner of the room.  The giant wall of windows facing them offered a spectacular view of the sunset over the Persian Gulf.  A rainbow of colors—yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, purples—all splashed across the room as the sun kissed the fiery ocean at the distant horizon.

Eleanora and Yoosung stood there, just inside of the door, gazing at each other in silence.  Neither one paid any attention to the magnificent splendor unfolding outside…all they could see was each other.  Nothing else existed.

Slowly, Eleanora approached Yoosung.  His eyes seemed to grow larger as the gap closed between them.  She paused, standing in front of him, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath on her forehead.  His breathing was deeper and faster than usual.  Placing her hands on his chest, Eleanora felt Yoosung's heart pounding in his ribcage.  Slowly looking up, their eyes locked.  His sparkling violet irises seemed to glow in the waning sunlight.

Without a word, she placed her hands on both sides of Yoosung’s face, slowly and gently pulling him close to her, and kissed him--softly at first, then with growing wild, wanton abandon.  She pressed her body close to his, wanting to feel every bit of him against her.  Yoosung gasped softly, then moaned as he did his best to reciprocate.  He placed one hand on Eleanora’s back, just above the base of her spine, and pulled her tightly against him, sending a dizzying frenzy of sparks through every part of her body and mind.

She had never needed anything as much as she needed this beautiful boy who stood before her.

“Let’s go…somewhere…more…comfortable,” Eleanora murmured, barely breaking contact with Yoosung’s lips.

“Mmm…mmm-hmmm,” was all Yoosung could manage as a response.

Reluctantly, the pair separated enough for Eleanora to guide Yoosung to the nearby sofa.  Once he was seated, she took his crutches and set them aside.  She then pulled up a nearby ottoman and helped him prop his cast up on it.  Once he was comfortable, she took her place next to him. 

“Now, where were we?” she asked, her fingers carefully brushing his hair back from the side of his face, exposing his neck.  She placed a trail of delicate kisses, starting just below his ear and making her way slowly down his neck.  One of her hands was placed around his head and neck, fingers laced in his hair, the other lay on his chest, softly tracing random shapes through his t-shirt as it slowly traveled downward and under the hemline.  Her fingertips then danced on his bare skin, gradually lifting his shirt. 

As she touched the bare skin of his torso, she suddenly felt a subtle shift in his demeanor.  He tensed slightly; she could feel his heart pounding so hard that she thought she could almost hear it.  His breaths were becoming more rapid and shallow.  Eleanora lifted her head to look at his face.  Yoosung’s eyes were tightly closed, and there was an odd expression on his face—almost as if he were in pain…or afraid.

“Honey…are you okay?” she asked, alarmed.  “What’s wrong?  Are you hurting?”

Yoosung’s eyes snapped open.  “Oh!  I’m uh…I’m okay.  I guess I’m a little nervous, that’s all,” he said quickly.  His words were reassuring, but _something_ in his voice didn’t seem right.  His wide eyes betrayed a sense of something that was just short of panic.  Eleanora was at a loss.  Part of her was desperately wanting to continue, but there was no way she could do that if there was any chance that Yoosung was not okay with it.

“Are you sure that you’re comfortable with this?  You’d tell me if you weren’t, right?”  Eleanora lifted herself up enough so that she could face him more directly.  His expression still carried a tension that troubled her.

Yoosung’s deep violet eyes shifted downward as he gave a small sigh.  “Don’t worry, I’d tell you.  It’s just that…I-I don’t know.  Part of me wants to…wants to… _be with_ you.  I want you, _all of you_.” He blushed.  “You know what I mean, right?  I love you _so_ much…but…”  His voice was low and quiet, and as he spoke, his tone grew anguished.

“But…?” Eleanora gently encouraged, taking his hands into hers.  “It’s okay, sweetie.  You can tell me.”

“I don’t know how to say it…”  Yoosung closed his eyes again.  Suddenly, he felt so distant that Eleanora’s heart physically ached—not unlike it did when he was missing.  She couldn’t stand it.

Instinctively, she moved in close to him, wrapping her arms around him, and trying desperately to close the gap that she felt developing between them.

“Baby, what’s wrong?  Please tell me.  Say it as best you can…just please, talk to me,” she implored. 

“When you were kissing me, I felt…really…uh…turned on,” he said, his blush deepening.

“I would hope so.  I want to make you feel that way.”  Eleanora said as she stroked his hair.    

Yoosung shifted his gaze to the window, watching the fading light of the sunset.

“That feeling.  It reminded me of… _things_ …that happened…while I was…away.”  Yoosung spoke in halting phrases, and Eleanora could feel him squirm ever so slightly. 

Piecing together his words, the way he was acting, and what she knew from that first awful night in the hospital—when the doctor detailed the nature and extent of his injuries—she began to realize what it was that he was trying to tell her.  Her heart shattered.  Shifting a bit, she sat up so that she could face him as he spoke.  Her hand found his and held it tightly.

“I need to tell you, but I don’t want to.  _Oh God...I don’t want to tell you.  I don’t know…how to tell you...and I'm scared...that you won't feel the same way about me when you find out.”_ His voice cracked as he spoke.  He then took a deep, jagged breath. 

Eleanora squeezed his hand gently, mouthing the words, _“It’s okay, baby, you can tell me”._ She couldn’t force any sound past the lump in her throat.

“Eleanora, I…I’m…not… _innocent_ anymore.  It…it was taken from me.  _Haa...I...I don’t know how to say this_.  I wanted to give it to you, but it was taken... _I didn't want to...but...”_   His voice wavered as he sighed, still staring at the sunset.  The waning light reflected on the tears gathering in his eyes. 

The look on his face was the most devastating, heart-wrenching thing Eleanora had ever seen.

She felt like an invisible fist had punched her squarely in the chest, forcibly expelling every ounce of breath from her lungs.  Gathering him close to her, she held him tightly as she ineffectively fought back her own flood of tears.

Yoosung pressed his face into the warmth of Eleanora's neck.  She could feel the wetness of his tears on her skin as he spoke with a slightly muffled voice.  “I don’t remember everything, but I do remember bits and pieces.  _I don’t want to remember…God…I’d give anything to forget…”_   Eleanora cradled the back of his head with her hand, stroking her fingers through his hair.

 _“Baby…”_ Eleanora whispered, her own tears beginning to fall.  She desperately wished there was some way she could take this awful hurt away from her precious angel.

Sitting back on the sofa, she placed her hands on the sides of Yoosung's sweet face.  Gently, she turned him to face her.  She gazed into his red, bleary eyes, and she could see into the very depths of his being.  She could feel all of his hurt, all of the trauma, all of the fear that was buried just under the surface.  It was far more than she could bear, but…if he endured it for her, she would do it for him… _gladly_ …over and over, as many times as he needed her to do it. 

She took a deep breath.  She then allowed her heart to speak directly to his.

 _“My sweet, precious love._   I want you to listen me, okay?  That...person... _he took nothing from you_.  He couldn’t.  He couldn't take anything from you that you didn’t freely give _._   Your body...it's just a vessel.  What matters is what’s in your heart and soul.  _Nobody can touch that unless you allow it._   It doesn’t matter what he did to you, or what he made you do against your will.  He may have taken from your body, but I _know_ he didn’t take anything from where it counts.”  She laid her hands lightly upon his chest, directly over his heart, then lifted her eyes up again to meet his.  “You _are_ still innocent.  You _are_ still pure. Nobody can take that from you until you decide to give it willingly and freely.”  Eleanora wept as she spoke, but her declaration was as strong and steady as the conviction behind it. 

Yoosung softly cried as he listened to her.  His expression slowly changed as her words reached him, as if a shadow was lifting from his countenance.  He felt almost as if her words were washing him clean, removing the guilt, the shame, and the hurt.

“I…love…you…” he struggled to get the words out.  He fell into her, burying his face into her shoulder as loud, gasping sobs shook him to the core.  Eleanora held him close, rocking him gently.

“I love you, Elea…nora…I love you…so much...” he repeated softly through his tears.  She held him tightly, loving him with every ounce of her being.

 

 

* * *

 


	6. 'Define' Providence

**Chapter 6: 'Define' Providence**

**February 5th**  
**6:49pm**

 

A quiet hour passed as Eleanora and Yoosung cuddled together on the sofa.  Although both of them were emotionally drained, neither were ready to sleep.

The growing darkness of evening was gradually conquered by the lights of the city, and the room was filled with a soft, comfortable glow.  Eleanora reclined on the sofa, with Yoosung curled up next to her, with his head resting on her lap.  One of her hands rested on his chest, with his fingers wrapped around hers, while her other hand slowly stroked his soft hair.  She loved to 'pet' him like this, and she knew he loved it at least as much as she did.

“Eleanora.”  Yoosung said suddenly, turning his head to look up at her.

“Yes, my love?” she answered.

“What are you thinking about?”

Eleanora had to pause for a moment before giving him an answer.  Her mind had been wandering aimlessly, with no particular focus—just bits of fleeting images and sensations in the moment.  Rather than try to define a particular subject, she described the immediate things that she felt.

“Hmm…well…right now, I’m thinking of how wonderful your hair feels between my fingers.  How warm your chest feels, and the strong, beautiful heart beating within.  I’m memorizing the sound of your breathing, and feeling so incredibly thankful for each and every precious breath you take.  I’m thinking of how much I love you, and how happy I am that you are in my life.  I’m thinking that I am the luckiest girl in the world to have found you—not once, but twice—and that I get to belong to you, and love you, forever.”  As she finished, she bent down to plant a kiss on Yoosung’s forehead.

Yoosung sighed blissfully as he gazed up at her.  “How do you always know exactly how to make me feel so loved?” 

“That’s simple…you _are_ loved,” Eleanora replied, lightly stroking his cheek.

Sitting up, Yoosung leaned in and gave Eleanora a slow, lingering kiss, then wrapped his arms around her.  She leaned back into him, resting the back of her head against his shoulder.

After a few minutes, Eleanora asked, “It’s still pretty early.  Do you want to do something?  I know the cafe on the concourse is still open.”

“I don’t really feel like going anywhere,” Yoosung replied with a small yawn. “Want to watch a movie?  We’re already in the right place for that,” he said as he reached for the remote control sitting on the nearby side table.

“Yeah, that sounds great.  What should we watch?” Eleanora almost didn’t get all of her words out before she, too, yawned. 

“Whatever you want…just as long as it’s nothing scary,” Yoosung said as he handed her the remote.

“Hmm.  How about a romantic movie?” Eleanora said, knowing her sweet, sensitive boy’s favorite movie genre.  Eleanora scrolled through the available movie selections, pausing over “Titanic”. 

“I haven’t seen this one in years.  What do you think about this?” she asked him.

“Hmm… I like that movie, but it’s too sad at the end,” Yoosung responded.

“True.  It’s also really long—we’d be up way too late.  Let’s see what else there is…”  Eleanora scrolled some more.  She stopped again, this time on a classic movie called “Roman Holiday”. 

“Oooh….here’s a good one.  It’s pretty old, but it’s a classic.”

“I’ve never seen it.  What’s it about?”  Yoosung asked.

“It’s about a princess.  She’s really young, and feels smothered by her royal duties.  She’s visiting Rome on official royal business, but she finally gets fed up with all the pressure and responsibility and runs away, pretending to be just an ordinary girl.  She ends up with an American reporter, who is secretly aware of who she really is.  He bets one of his friends that he can use his advantage to get an exclusive story on her, but he ends up falling for her instead.  It’s really good, but then again, pretty much anything with Audrey Hepburn in it is good.  I think this was her first movie, and it definitely was the one that made her famous...” Eleanora’s voice trailed off as her face took on a distant expression.

She then sighed sadly.  “My mom loved Audrey Hepburn movies.  I have a lot of memories watching movies like this with her, over and over, especially when she was sad or not feeling well.  They’d always cheer her up.  This particular one was her favorite.”

 _“…’was’?”_  Yoosung asked tentatively, picking up on the wording and the sadness in Eleanora's voice.

“Yeah.  She’s not here anymore.  She died of ovarian cancer when I was 15.  She was an amazing person, and I really miss her a lot.” Eleanora said softly.

Yoosung held Eleanora a bit tighter.  _“I’m so sorry,_ ” he whispered.

“She was all I had,"  Eleanora confided.  "I never knew my dad.  He died in a car accident when I was a baby.  It was Christmas time, and we were on our way home from a family Christmas party at my grandma's.  The weather was starting to get bad, so we were trying to make it home before the roads iced over.  We hit black ice on a bridge, and dad lost control of the car.  We ended up in the river.  Dad got out, but I was stuck in my car seat and mom’s seatbelt was jammed.  He got me out and went back for mom.  He got her loose, but he started going into hypothermic shock before he could get her to shore...and…his heart stopped.  Mom was able to get him out of the water and do CPR, but he didn’t make it.” 

Eleanora rarely shared stories from her past, not only because they were too painful, but because she hated the kind of attention and pity that typically came with divulging the information.  However, wrapped in the warmth and safety of Yoosung’s arms, she felt comfortable sharing her past with him.  She had never felt this safe with anyone else; he was her sanctuary.

Eleanora stared at the stars twinkling outside the window, vaguely wondering if her parents were happy with where she was, and the things she had done.  She wondered what they would think of Yoosung.  She was pretty sure her mom would have loved him, even if she probably would have raised an eyebrow regarding their five-year age difference.

Yoosung turned his head, nuzzling his nose against the side of Eleanora’s head.  “So, did you grow up by yourself?” he asked.

“Pretty much. The only other family I had was an uncle on my mom’s side that I barely knew.  He was not exactly an upstanding citizen.  He was in and out of jail for petty things, often homeless, and known for being a con man.  The state didn’t spend much time trying to track him down to award him custody of me.  So, I ended up in foster care for a couple of months, which was horrible.  I was able to escape and stay with a neighbor until I turned 17 and was able to file for self-guardianship.  I finished high school a year ahead of schedule and got as far away from my hometown as I could, as fast as I could, so I could go to college.”

"What did you study in college?" Yoosung asked.

“I was undecided when I started.  For the longest time, wanted to go into music education, but I eventually settled on nursing.  I was inspired by the wonderful nurses who helped my mom in the last year of her life.  Unfortunately, reality got in the way.”  Eleanora sighed sadly.

“What happened?” he asked her.

“For whatever dumb reason, even though I was awarded self-guardianship and graduated from high school at 17, I had to wait another year before I received the life insurance and survivor's benefit from my parents' deaths.  That was the money that was supposed to get me through college.  I was impatient and wanted to go ahead and get into college, so I borrowed the money for my first two semesters.  I took a part time job to make the payments, because I didn’t want to get saddled up with a lot of debt.  My job, along with a full course load, was more than I could reasonably handle, and my grades suffered as a result. 

“When I turned 18, I was finally awarded the money from my parents' life insurance and survivor’s benefits.  However, the price of tuition had gotten so expensive, along with the price of everything else, that the money ran out much sooner than expected.  Plus, I still had some of the loans to pay off.  My grades were not what they could have been, and I had ended up on the academic probation list.  So, rather than waiting to be kicked out or dropped, I decided to go ahead and quit school, hopefully only temporarily, until I could get back on my feet.  It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.  I was so close--only a year from finishing.”  Eleanora sighed sadly.

“After that, I moved around from one place to another and worked odd jobs, trying to get by and save up to finish my degree.  Eventually, I moved into an apartment with two roommates.  I was working three jobs at the time—and still barely got by, even splitting rent and utilities three ways.  It seemed no matter how hard I worked, I simply couldn’t get ahead.

"Finally, I got to the end of my rope and made a rash decision to get away...far, far away.  I figured that if I moved to a completely new country, new city, and everything, I could get a fresh start.  That’s how I ended up in Seoul.”

“How long have you been living there?”  Yoosung asked, his slender fingers delicately caressing Eleanora’s hand.

“I guess it’s been little over a year now.  I moved there shortly before Christmas, year before last.  I worked as a housekeeper at a tiny, run-down hotel in the outskirts of the city, in exchange for room and board.  I then got a second job waiting tables at the hotel’s restaurant so that I could build up some savings. 

“Then, last April, a fire destroyed the hotel and I lost everything—my home, my belongings, my income…everything but the clothes on my back and the phone in my pocket.  For a couple of weeks, I lived on the streets and tried to find more work, but no luck.  Then, my savings ran out.  That’s when I hit rock-bottom.  The only item of value I had left was my phone, and I couldn’t bring myself to sell it.

“One day, I think it was the last day of April, I was walking toward the river.  I had this vague idea that I was going to find the highest bridge and jump off of it.  I had decided to end it…all of it.  I was just so… _tired_.  Tired of busting my ass to make some headway in this world, only to be knocked back to square one—over and over again.  Tired of feeling like no matter what I did, the world was always going to be against me.  Tired of being _alone in the world,_ with nobody to talk to, nobody to lean on, nobody who cared.

“Anyway, I stopped at a little café about a block away from the Mapo Bridge, pulled out my phone, and started to type out a message to my cousin, Keira.  It was a sort of goodbye note.  You see, Keira is the only family I have left now.  My uncle is her biological dad, but she was put up for adoption when she was little.  Two years ago, she found me when looking for her biological relatives, and we’ve become good friends, even though we’ve never met in person.  She lives halfway around the world and has a family of her own, but she was the only one I thought might possibly miss me if I were gone.  She was the only one I felt like I owed an explanation and a proper goodbye.

“I hesitated before hitting ‘send’ on the message.  I thought about how Keira would feel when she read the message, and it broke my heart.  As awful and hopeless as I felt, I couldn't stand the thought of hurting someone else.  At that moment, I started having second thoughts.  I prayed that, if there was a God, that he’d send me some sort of signal, a sign… _anything_ …if there was something out there left for me; a reason to go on.  I had no idea what to do.

“It was only minutes later when I suddenly noticed that a strange app had appeared on my phone.  I didn’t remember installing it.  It was very suspicious, and I don’t know why on earth I opened it.  I knew full well that it could have been a virus or some other sort of bad thing, but I opened it anyway.  I wasn't thinking straight.

“And, suddenly, I was chatting with this complete stranger, who then insisted that I go to some random apartment.  If I had been in my right mind, I would have deleted everything from my phone and ran away.  But, _I had literally just asked God for a sign_ , and I figured that if I was walking into some kind of trap, I had nothing to lose.  So, against any sane person’s better judgement, I went to the apartment.  And then I found myself talking to you.  And Jumin, Jaehee, Seven, and Zen.  And my life changed forever.”  As Eleanora finished her story, she shifted to her side to snuggle up to Yoosung, her head fitting perfectly under his chin, her face nuzzled into the warmth of his chest.

“I’m so glad I found you,” she said ardently.  She clutched him tightly, as if he was her shelter, and she was holding on to him for dear life. _“_ _You saved me, Yoosung_ …in just about every way someone can possibly be saved.  I promise you that I would not be here in this world right now if it weren't for you.”

She felt Yoosung’s arms hold her close as he buried his face into her hair, savoring her beautiful scent.

“I can’t believe that you were that close to…ending your life.  I can’t stand the thought of that.” He whispered.

After planting some light kisses on the top of her head, he spoke again, in a subdued voice. “I’ve never told anyone this until now…”  He took a deep breath before continuing.  “But…I was in a really bad depression up to the point when you joined the RFA.  My life was a mess.  You know that my cousin, Rika…she left this world two years ago...well, almost three years now.  Like you and your cousin, she was all the family I had.  My parents died in a plane crash when I was young, and I went to live with my aunt and uncle.*  Rika was my cousin, but she was more like my big sister.  She guided me through some of the darkest times of my life, and helped me become who I am.  She really cared for me, she took an interest in the things I did, and was always there for me.  She was an amazing person, always thinking of others before herself, and she had a way of making everyone around her feel happy and loved.  Then, all of a sudden, she was gone.  There was no warning, no explanation.  She didn’t tell me anything, say goodbye, leave a note…nothing.

“So, when she left, the day before my high school graduation, it felt like part of me died, too.  Nothing seemed to matter anymore.  My grades in high school were good enough that I got a scholarship, and I got accepted into the most competitive university in the country, so I went to college, but it didn’t really seem important anymore...there just didn't seem to be any point.  I got into video games, spent all my time playing LOLOL, and stopped caring about my grades.  I began failing classes.  I didn't really have anyone to talk to who understood...Rika's parents never really seemed to like me all that much, and they pretty much stopped having anything to do with me once I moved to college.  The members of the RFA care and they mean well, but I don't think any of them could relate to me very well.

“There came a point where I started thinking that there wasn’t much point in trying to go on.  I was alone, unhappy, had no purpose or direction, and there just didn’t seem to be very many reasons to keep trying.  I started thinking of ways to end my life, so that I could be with my parents and Rika again—I missed them all so much.  I planned everything to the smallest detail, and I'd worked up my nerve to do it, and was planning on going through with it—especially after I failed my midterms.  I was going to do it sometime that week—I had everything ready.

“But then, you showed up out of nowhere.  You joined the RFA and willingly volunteered to help this group of people you had only just met.  You were so kind to me, you understood how I felt and made me feel like there might actually be someone out there who could care for me.  I started putting off my plan each day, until I realized that I didn’t want to end it anymore.  I wanted desperately to live—just the thought of being in the same world as you was enough for me to want to keep going.”

Eleanora felt tears streaming down her face, some of which were soaking into Yoosung’s t-shirt.

 _“Oh, honey_...I would never have guessed that you were in such a dark place when I met you.” She sniffled, “you seemed so bright and cheerful.”

“I got the same vibe from you—I would not have thought that you were also feeling like giving up.”  Yoosung said as he stroked his hand lightly over Eleanora’s glossy brown hair.

 _“So, we saved each other, didn’t we?”_   Eleanora whispered.

“I think we did.  If there is a God, I guess he meant for us to find each other.”

Both of them wanted to say “I love you” to the other, but somehow, it just didn’t seem necessary as they silently held each other in the dusky glow of the city lights pouring through the windows of the darkened room.

* See notes about divergence from canon. 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Yes, I realize that this is not canon. I decided to write Yoosung's parents out of the story because it simplified things and allowed me to focus on the relationship between him and Eleanora. Plus, it gave them something in common that could strengthen their bond.
> 
> Speaking of going off-canon, I also realize that Eleanora's explanation regarding how she found the messenger app and encountered Unknown isn't quite how the game presented it. I just took a little artistic liberty that fit better with my version of MC. 
> 
> It never quite made sense to me that MC downloaded the app herself, then went to a random address given to her by a total stranger. I liked the idea much better that she was scouted out and targeted by Unknown...in the case of my MC, Eleanora, because she is in a bad situation with basically nowhere to go. In other words, she was desperate and more likely to be easy to influence--an ideal patsy. Once she was chosen to basically infiltrate the RFA on behalf of Mint Eye, he hacked her phone, installed the app, and the game was on (quite literally!) 
> 
> As the theme song lyrics say:
> 
> "I've been watching you from the start..." 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the story!


	7. Another Step Forward

**Chapter 7: Another Step Forward**

February 8th  
3:00pm

 

A faint burning smell filled the air as the tiny round saw buzzed through the outer layers of Yoosung’s cast.  He sat on a partially-reclined exam table with his leg propped up, and Eleanora stood next to him, holding his hand and watching intently.

“And you’re absolutely sure that the blade won’t cut all the way through?”  Yoosung asked nervously.

The technician, a young lady named Deena, with pale skin and long hair the color of melted caramel, smiled as she carefully guided the saw up the length of the cast.  “Everyone worries about that.  I know it looks intimidating, but I promise it’s not going to cut you.  It’s only cutting through the hard outermost shell of the cast.  Once we get that off, there will be several thick layers of cotton dressing underneath.  I’ll be cutting those with bandage scissors, which are angled and have a blunt point so that no sharp edges will come near your skin.”

After several minutes, the outer shell of the cast was cut away.  It took a little longer to cut through the many layers of fabric underneath.  Once those were removed, all that was left was the surgical dressings and tape closures where the bones were reconstructed. 

They had visited Dr. Hammond earlier in the day, and he had given his blessing to remove the cast after seeing updated x-rays and being happy with what he saw.  He had then explained to them earlier in the day what they could expect upon removal.  Even so, Eleanora was shocked by what she saw when Yoosung’s leg was fully uncovered.

Several incisions marked the length of his leg between his knee and ankle.  They were healed, but the staples that had held them closed remained in place.  The marks made in purple ink by the surgeon, mapping each incision area, were still plainly visible.  There was still a lot of swelling, more than Eleanora expected to see this long after surgery.  His skin looked mottled, with bruises in every shade of blue, green and yellow in various stages of the healing process.

Eleanora shifted her concerned gaze to Yoosung’s face.  His expression clearly showed that he was at least as taken aback as she was at the appearance of his leg.

“Is it supposed to look like… _that?”_ Eleanora asked, trying not to sound as alarmed as she actually was.

“This is completely normal, especially for the magnitude of the injury and the extent of the surgical reconstruction that was done.  The swelling and bruising can take another couple of months to fully subside.  In fact, there might be a bit of an increase in both once he starts exercising the leg.  Remember, the muscles in the area are severely atrophied from months of not being used.  It will take months to rebuild the muscle mass and strength.”

The technician pulled up a small metal table on wheels.  It contained a tray with a paper towel and a pair of forceps. “Let’s get those staples out,” she declared.  Yoosung tensed up a little, prompting Deena to add quickly, “don’t worry, this isn’t going to hurt at all.  It may tickle a bit, but you may not even feel anything at all.”  A minute later, all the staples were laying on the paper towel.

“Wow, you were right, I didn’t feel much at all!” Yoosung said. 

Deena then opened a nearby cabinet and rummaged around inside.  After checking several packages, she selected one and removed the plastic wrapping.  It was a brace, resembling an oversized, black boot, consisting of thick padding, ‘Velcro’ straps, and a solid sole below the foot area.

“You’ll need to wear this for at least the next month.  I want to emphasize to you that you _must_ _not_ …under _any_ circumstances…bear any weight on your leg without wearing this brace.  You’re also going to need to continue to use your crutches for at least another month, though if you want, you can go down to using just one on the side of injury.  We want you to bear _some_ weight on the leg, with the support of the brace and the crutches, and very, _very_ gradually increase over the next several weeks.  The key here is to not try to rush anything.  The bones have fused properly, but the repaired places are still fragile and subject to stress fracture if too much demand is placed on the leg.  What we don't want is for you to bear too much weight too soon, or without the support of the brace and crutches.  It would be very easy to cause re-injury, putting you right back at square one.  I've seen it happen far too often, and from my experience, I can tell you that it could easily set you back almost a year in recovery time.  Trust me, you do _not_ want that to happen.

“Bottom line is to take it easy and be patient.  You’ll quickly get a feel for how much you can handle, and Nasir will be working with you over the next few days to make sure you stay on the right track.  I see in your chart that you’re scheduled for discharge on the 19th, so once you get home, you’ll need to continue physical therapy for a while longer.  Don’t expect for your leg to be fully back to 100% for at least another four or five months—and possibly up to a year."

Laying the brace aside, Deena turned her attention to Yoosung’s leg. “Okay…I bet it will feel good to get this leg bathed after it’s been cooped up all this time.”  She took a soft cloth and a bottle of what looked like thin lotion.  “This is a special cleanser that is extra gentle, almost like a moisturizing lotion.  The skin that’s been under the cast is going to be very dry and sensitive for a few days.  You get to keep this bottle of cleanser, and I want you to clean your leg once a day.”  Deena picked up the cloth.  “I’ll show you how to do it…take a soft cloth like this one, a small amount of the lotion, like this...” she poured a small amount onto the cloth, “…and gently massage it into the skin.  Then…” she turned to the nearby sink and wet the cloth with warm water, “…dampen the cloth, and wipe down the whole area.”  She demonstrated the procedure as she explained.

“How does that feel, sweetie?” Eleanora asked Yoosung, whose bewildered expression was making her curious.

“It feels kind of cool and tingly, but it also kind of burns at the same time.  It’s really weird,” he observed.

Deena finished cleaning the leg.  “Now, I want you to try flexing your ankle.  Go slow and easy, and just point your toes downward and back up again.  This is something that you’re going to need to do as frequently as possible—but only when you’re sitting or lying down, not when you’re bearing weight on it.”

Yoosung wiggled his toes hesitantly.  He then tried to point his foot downward, wincing immediately.  His grip on Eleanora’s hand suddenly tightened as a small gasp escaped his lips.

 _“Oww…it hurts!”_ he yelped.  “It hasn’t been painful in weeks—why does it hurt now?  Are you sure it’s healed?”  Yoosung asked worriedly.

Deena nodded, smiling sympathetically.  “The bones themselves have healed, but all the nerves and connective tissue in the area are still rewiring themselves, and that takes time.  Also, the muscles, tendons and ligaments are all atrophied from being immobilized for such a long time.  That means they’re going to be stiff, and it’s going to take work to stretch them, work them, and get them to limber up.  I know it doesn’t feel good, but it’s absolutely crucial that you do all of the exercises I show you, or else you may never get your full range of motion back.”

Yoosung frowned.  It was clear that he had set his expectations too high, despite Dr. Hammond's explanation earlier in the day.  Eleanora squeezed his hand.  “It’s okay, baby.  You’ve got this.”  He glanced up at her, his expression softening with her encouragement.  Taking a deep breath, he flexed his foot again.  This time, he was silent, but Eleanora saw the familiar look on his face--a mixture of intense concentration, mixed with pain.  She saw this look often during weeks of physical therapy sessions, and it always broke her heart.  

“Good job, Yoosung,” Deena said reassuringly.  “I know it’s hard, but if all of the amazing things I’ve heard about you are true, you’ll tackle this in no time.  I can see that you have a wonderful partner to give you the support you need, and that makes all the difference in the world.” she said, smiling at Eleanora.

“I’d be lost without her,” he said with a tiny smile.  He then raised Eleanora’s hand to his lips and kissed her lightly on the inside of her wrist.  Eleanora melted a little inside.  How she loved her sweetheart.

The next half hour was spent learning some basic exercises designed to loosen up the joints and muscles in Yoosung’s leg.  They were painful, much more so than he expected, but not so much that he couldn’t manage.  He was instructed to do the exercises several times a day to gradually improve range of motion. 

At the end of the visit, Deena placed the brace on Yoosung’s leg, showing them how it worked and how to adjust it.

“As the swelling fluctuates, you’ll need to loosen or tighten the fasteners,” she explained.  “The trick is to have enough pressure to support the leg, but not so much that circulation is compromised.  You might need to adjust it several times throughout the day, especially if you’re up and around a lot.”

Once everything was done, Eleanora helped Yoosung up and onto his crutches.  Soon, they were making their way to the elevator.

 

* * *

 

5:24pm

 

“It’s almost dinner time.  Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Eleanora asked as the elevator doors closed.

“Only a little.  I’m more tired and sore than anything.” The sound of his voice more than backed up his claim.

“Why don’t we just go back to the room and order in, then?  We can just veg out in there for the rest of the day.  What do you think?” she asked as she placed her hand comfortingly on the small of his back.

“That sounds amazing.  Maybe you can show me that movie you were telling me about the other day.  Then one about the princess?  I’d love to see it.”  He smiled adorably as his eyes of sparkling amethyst reflected the evening light of the concourse.

The rest of the evening was spend cuddled on the sofa, watching “Roman Holiday”, until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

 

* * *

 


	8. Touch the Sky

**Chapter 8: Touch the Sky**

February 14th  
7:55am

 

“How long have we been here at Halcyon?”  Yoosung asked, before taking a drink of chocolate milk.  He and Eleanora were eating breakfast at the dining table in the sitting area of their room.  The morning light was muted from their western-facing window, casting a soft blue glow into the room.

Eleanora had just taken a huge bite of her omelet; she raised a finger to signal a wait for her response as she quickly finished her mouthful and washed it down with a gulp of orange juice.

“Sorry…I’ve got a bit too much of an appetite this morning!” She flushed with a hint of embarrassment. “To answer your question, I think it’s been about a month since we got here.  Why do you ask?”

Yoosung was watching her, an amused smile on his face.  “I love to see you have a good appetite.”  He took another sip of milk. “I asked, because it feels like we’ve been here forever.  As nice as this place is, don’t you think it’s getting…well, a bit _old_?”

“Ohhh…I see.  You’ve got cabin fever,” Eleanora said.

“Huh?  I don’t _think_ I have a fever. I feel fine…” Yoosung placed his hand on his forehead.

“No, sweetie, I don’t mean an _actual_ fever—like you get when you’re sick.  I mean ‘ _cabin_ fever’.  Where I come from, it refers to the feeling you get when you’re stuck in one place for too long.  It’s being tired of being in one place and wanting a change of scenery.”  Eleanora explained.

Yoosung’s face lit up.  “Okay, then…that’s what I’ve got,” he said decisively.  He then turned to gaze out the window, at the awakening city below.  “I wish we could get out of here for a little while.  See some of the city from the ground level, instead of from plate glass windows hundreds of feet high.  The concourse is nice, but we’ve done just about everything there is to do there.”

“I agree, it would be nice to get out and see something new.” Eleanora agreed.  In her mind, she was hatching a plan.  “I’m not sure if Dr. Hammond wants you out and about, though.”

“Maybe we can ask him?  I’ll give him a ca…” Yoosung hadn’t finished speaking before Eleanora was dialing the office number on her phone.  After a couple of minutes and a transfer from the receptionist, Dr. Hammond was on the other end of the line.

“Yes, Dr. Hammond?  This is Eleanora Shipley, Yoosung Kim’s girlfriend.  We were wondering if Yoosung has any restrictions on activity…specifically, with regards to leaving the campus.  We were hoping that we could go out into Dubai and do some sightseeing.”  She paused, listening to the doctor speak. “Oh, really?  I see.”  She paused again.  “Ok, I understand.  Yes, sir.  Thanks, doctor.  Goodbye.”  She hung up the phone.

“What did he say?” Yoosung asked, an adorable hopeful look on his face.

“He said he didn’t think it was a good idea, just yet.”  Eleanora said. 

Yoosung’s face fell, and he sighed dejectedly, making Eleanora’s heart hurt.

“Baby, just be patient a little longer, okay?”  Eleanora tried to sound encouraging, but it didn’t do much to erase Yoosung’s pout.

“ _Hey_ …you’d better wipe that frown off of your face, or I’ll have to kiss it off of you…”  Eleanora threatened playfully.

A hint of a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.  “Ooh… _you promise?”_   Yoosung said cheekily, before exaggerating the pout and sticking out his bottom lip.

Eleanora stood up from her seat.  “Alright… _I warned you!”_   Marching around the table, she bent down, capturing Yoosung’s chin in her hand, and tilting his head up to meet hers.  She lightly kissed the pouty bottom lip offered out to her, then quickly took it into her mouth, sucking on it and teasing it with her teeth and tongue.  When she released him from the kiss, Yoosung’s head remained upturned, a look of shocked bliss on his face.

 _“Ooh…w-wow_ …” He gasped, then swallowed hard.  Looking up at Eleanora, he added, “Remind me to frown more often.”  He reached up his fingers to lightly touch his slightly swollen bottom lip, as if to check to see if perhaps she had, in fact, removed it with her kiss.

Eleanora, who could never be satisfied with just one kiss, swiftly planted another little kiss on his forehead.

“Baby, I need to head to the office to pick up a new toothbrush.  I accidentally dropped mine in the toilet last night, and I refuse to use it again because…that would be gross.  You go ahead and finish your breakfast, and I’ll be back in five minutes, okay?”

Yoosung replied, “okay, but only if you kiss me again, and if you promise to hurry back.”

“Deal.” Eleanora swooped down once more for a quick kiss.

“Love you,” she whispered before pulling back.

“Love you _more,_ ” Yoosung said, the purple facets in his eyes sparkling vividly.

“Wanna bet?” Eleanora giggled as she stepped out the door.

 

* * *

 

8:22am

 

Once Eleanora left the room, she hurried to the front office.  The lady at the desk, a tall, dark haired beauty named Yadira, greeted Eleanora warmly.  “Good morning, Miss Shipley.  What can I do for you today?”

Eleanora approached the desk smiling brightly, “Good morning, Yadira.  I’m here to get a day pass from Dr. Hammond.  I called him a few minutes ago, and he said he’d sign off on it right away.”

“Oh, yes.  It showed up in my box just as you arrived.”  A few mouse clicks later, the form was shooting out of the printer.  Yadira examined it briefly, then applied her signature and time stamp.

“So, where are you two lovebirds going today?  This is Yoosung's first time to venture outside, isn't it?” Yadira asked with a broad smile.

“Yes, it is!" Eleanora beamed excitedly.  "I’ve been reading some of the local guides, and I think I’ve got a few ideas.  Yoosung likes to cook, so I’m thinking that we’ll attend a cooking class at the Cookery Shop.  Then, maybe we could visit one of the observation decks at the Burj Khalifa, then maybe a dinner cruise."

“Sounds like a full day!  If you're taking the _Bateaux_ cruise, be sure to get a table near the front of the boat, preferably on the starboard side.  Also, be sure to visit the roof terrace, that's where you have the best views!” Handing Eleanora the pass, she added, “I hope you have a wonderful time!”

“Thanks, Yadira.  I was planning on the Bateaux, so I'll keep your tips in mind.  Oh, and If you see Yoosung within the next hour or so, please don’t say anything to him.  He doesn’t know yet—this is all a surprise!”  Eleanora confided as she hid the pass in her purse. 

Yadira moved her fingers across her lips in a zipper-like motion.  "My lips are sealed."  She smiled broadly.  "I'm so excited for you guys!!"  

 

Eleanora hurried back to the room, unable to hide the goofy smile on her face.  She couldn’t wait to surprise Yoosung with the day pass. 

She was congratulating herself on her expertly-executed secret plan when she returned to Yoosung's room.

Once she was inside the door, she approached the adorable boy with epic bedhead who was still sitting at the breakfast table, kissing his cheek before taking her seat next to him.  She was barely able to conceal her giddiness.

“Where’s your new toothbrush?” Yoosung asked. 

“My what?” Eleanora gave him a puzzled look.

“You said you were going to get a new toothbrush…to replace the one you dropped in the toilet?”

 _Oh shit_ …

For all of the careful planning and execution of her plan, Eleanora forgot to get the darn toothbrush!  Thinking fast, she came up with a cover story quick.

“Oh, they were out for the time being.  She said to check back this afternoon and there should be some on the supply delivery later today.”

Yoosung looked puzzled.  “I thought the supply deliveries came on Mondays.  Today is Thursday.”

 _Dammit_. 

He's too damn smart for his own good.  Eleanora cringed internally at the thought that her grand plan was going to crash and burn... _over a toothbrush._

“Well, I guess she was confused about what day it is….” Eleanora started to blush.

“I guess that makes sense.  Those ladies at the desk are always really busy.”

Eleanora stared at him as he blithely finished his chocolate milk. 

 _Was he really buying this?_  

She hated to tell a little white lie, but she just wasn’t ready to reveal the surprise just yet.

Yoosung shrugged.  “So, what are we going to do today?  More movies?  We could watch another one with that one actress in it.  Aubrey…?  What was her last name?”

“Hepburn.  Audrey Hepburn.  There are several more of her movies that we could watch... _but_ , we can do that later.  I’ve got a better idea of how we can spend the day.”  Eleanora finished off her orange juice and stacked the plates neatly for room service to collect.

“Oh?  And what might that be?”  Yoosung asked, his interest piqued.

“You’ll find out soon enough!” Eleanora teased with a playful wink. “Let’s get ready to go.  Go get dressed, okay?”

Yoosung eyed her with a playfully suspicious smirk.  "What's going on, Eleanora?"

"The longer you sit there and ask questions, the longer you'll have to wait to see.  Hurry up and get dressed, you silly goofball!" 

Yoosung went into the bathroom to change, while Eleanora retreated to her bedroom.  She selected a knee-length, thin-strapped sundress in a print of pale blue with small white flowers.  Over this, she wore a thin white crocheted cardigan.  She then swept her hair into a casual bun into which she stuck a couple of small white flowers from the bouquet on her dresser.

Eleanora then grabbed a small backpack and packed inside her wallet, a map, a metro transit schedule, and a city guide.  She then slung the backpack over her shoulder and headed out of the room.

Once she emerged back into the living area, Yoosung was sitting on the sofa waiting for her.  He was wearing a simple outfit of t-shirt, hoodie and blue jeans, with his black walking brace strapped in place over the jeans on his injured leg.  His crutches were propped against the side table next to him. 

He looked at her, and his jaw dropped.

“Wow.   Y-you…you look…uh…you’re… _wow_.”  Words seemed just out of his grasp.

Eleanora blushed as she approached him.  “Thanks, sweetie.”

“What’s the occasion?  I feel under-dressed now.  Should I change?”  He asked a bit nervously.

Eleanora offered her hand to him to help him up from the sofa.  As he stood to face her, she took both of his hands into hers.  “The _occasion_ is another day that we get to be together, because each and every one of those is a special gift that's worth celebrating.  And, there’s no need for you to change.  You look absolutely perfect just as you are.” 

The violet crystalline irises of Yoosung’s eyes sparkled as he surveyed Eleanora’s outfit again.  “I love your dress.  And your hair.  Just…everything.  You’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you, darling.  You're quite handsome, yourself.  Are you ready to go?”  Eleanora asked.  Yoosung blushed at the compliment.

“Yeah.  But… _where_ are we going?”

Giving Yoosung a smile and a wink, Eleanora answered by handing him his crutches and leading him to the door.  He followed without a word; the curiosity was starting to drive him crazy.

 

* * *

 

9:08am

 

The couple quietly made their way down the corridor until they entered the Sky Concourse.  Instead of heading into the Concourse, though, Eleanora turned the other direction, toward the entrance hall and front desk.

“Wha… _where are we going?”_   Yoosung asked again, thoroughly perplexed.

Eleanora stopped in front of the huge elevator doors, which lead out of the Halcyon Sky campus and to the building’s main entrance on the ground floor.  She watched Yoosung’s face as she slowly and emphatically reached out to push the elevator button.

“Wait…are we going out?  As in, _outside of the building?  Are you serious?  Really?!”_   Yoosung’s eyes widened as a giddy smile spread across his face.

“Surprise!  Happy Valentine’s Day, baby!” Eleanora beamed at him.  He looked like a little boy on Christmas morning—so adorable.

Suddenly, Yoosung frowned slightly.  “Hey, wait a minute.  I thought Dr. Hammond said I couldn’t go outside yet…”

“ _Yeah_ , about that…” Eleanora began, “when we were on the phone, he was telling me that you _could_ go out, and that we’d just need a day pass from the office.  That’s why I went to the office earlier.  The toothbrush was just a cover story.”  Eleanora explained.  “I’m sorry for the cover-up…I just really wanted the chance to surprise you.” 

Yoosung smiled. “You certainly did that.  It’s a great surprise.  Thank you!”  He wrapped her up in a hug.

The elevator soon arrived, and within minutes they had arrived on the ground floor and were stepping outside into the city of Dubai.  The temperature was a comfortable 68 degrees, with a crystal-clear blue sky and a gentle breeze blowing off of the nearby Persian Gulf.

 

* * *

 

12:24pm

 

“I couldn’t eat another bite.  I think that might have been the best lunch I’ve ever had!”  Yoosung said happily.  “What was it called again?” he asked Eleanora, who was also just finishing her meal, which consisted of roasted butter nut squash, lentils, and salmon baked inside of a pastry shell and filled with onions, mushrooms, and spinach.  The two of them had just participated in a private cooking class at a renowned boutique café, where they had each made a dish to eat for lunch—which they packed up for a picnic at a nearby park.

“It’s called _Salmon En Croûte_.  It’s French.” She answered, looking at the recipe booklet given to them in the class.  “I can’t say I’ve ever _eaten_ French food before, let alone cooked it.”

“Me too…unless French fries count.  It wasn’t as hard as I expected it to be, but that might have been because we had an actual chef teaching us.  It was great to get to cook again…I’ve missed it so much!  I can’t wait to get home and cook for you.  Maybe I can make this dish again!  Would you like that, Eleanora?”  Yoosung was happier than Eleanora had seen him in a long time, and it made her heart dance with joy.

 

* * *

 

2:08pm

 

As the giant, silver elevator doors opened, the first thing Eleanora noticed was the smooth, marble floor, which perfectly reflected the sculptured metal ceiling.  Just beyond, she saw the vast expanse of Dubai and the distant desert through the plate glass window.  They had just arrived at the topmost observation deck at the Burj Khalifa. 

Like a kid in a candy store, Yoosung was already on his way to the window, eager to see the view from the tallest building in the world.  It was the one thing he was most excited to do before they left Dubai, and Eleanora was extremely lucky in securing access, since tickets to enter the deck usually book up months in advance.

“Wow.  Can you believe this, Eleanora?  This is amazing!”  Yoosung exclaimed, his giddiness barely contained. 

Eleanora joined him at the window, grasping at his arm when she began to feel slightly dizzy.

Sensing her attempt to steady herself, Yoosung quickly turned his attention to Eleanora, placing his arm firmly around her waist.

“Are you okay, honey?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m fine, just a little dizzy.” Eleanora reassured him, leaning into his embrace.

To say the view was amazing would be an understatement.  Afternoon sunshine poured over the desert through the crystal-blue sky, while wispy strands of thin white clouds flowed in from the Persian Gulf. 

Eleanora pointed at one of the buildings in the distance.  “Look, that building is where Halcyon is.  See it over there?”

“Yeah.  That’s amazing…you think of how far up we are in that building, but it looks so small from up here,” Yoosung observed.

“Honey, how far away do you think we can see from here?” Eleanora asked. 

“Fifty, maybe sixty miles, easily.  I’ve heard that this building is so tall, that you can witness the sunset from it twice in one day.  You can watch it from the ground level, then come up here and see it again.”  Yoosung said. 

“I’ve heard that, too.  I wish we could test that theory ourselves, but I couldn’t get us tickets to come up here at that time, since they book up months in advance,” Eleanora explained.

“I like being up here in the daytime, anyway.  You can see so much more of the city in the daylight.”  He pointed to a break in the clouds below.  “You can see all the way to the ground there.  I can barely make out cars and trucks, and people look like tiny specks, like ants.”

Eleanora, who was feeling better after her brief dizzy spell, was enjoying Yoosung’s excitement at least as much as the incredible view in front of her.  She was so happy she was able to secure their access to the observation deck—normally they book up well in advance.  Seeing the unbridled joy on her precious boy’s face made her heart soar.  She was, once again, certain that she would do anything in the world for her Yoosung.  Anything to make him happy.

“Maybe we can come back here someday—you know, after everything is settled down and calm,” she suggested.

“I’d love that.  We should start planning as soon as we get back home…to _our own home_.  _Together_.”  He smiled broadly before tilting his head down to place a kiss on Eleanora’s forehead. 

“I love you so much, my angel.  You make me happier than I ever dreamed I would be …thank you.”

 

* * *

 

3:17pm

 

After an hour of taking in the view from the world’s tallest manmade structure, Yoosung and Eleanora descended the Burj Khalifa in one of the world’s fastest elevators, then emerged once again into the fading afternoon sun of Dubai.

“How are you feeling, my love?”  Eleanora asked her sweetheart. 

Yoosung shifted his weight carefully on his crutches, “My leg is hurting a little bit, but other than that, I’m okay.”

Eleanora checked her watch.  “It’s not quite time for your pain medicine yet,” she observed. “I’ve only got one more activity planned for today, and it’s easy and relaxing.  Are you up for it, or would you rather call it a day?  It’s up to you.”

“Oh, I’m up for it.  This day has been amazing…I don’t think I want it to end.” 

 

* * *

 

6:42pm     

                                                                       

After a brief stop at their room at Halcyon Sky to rest for a little while and freshen up, the pair took a taxi northeast to the piers on Dubai Creek.  There, they boarded a large riverboat almost entirely enclosed in glass.  Inside, was a luxurious restaurant, with tables covered in white cloth, set with fine, gold-rimmed china, and lit by candlelight.  Yoosung and Eleanora were seated at a private table at the starboard side of the boat.   

As the boat slowly cruised the length of Dubai Creek, a sumptuous three-course meal was served by candlelight, as soft piano music added a romantic touch. 

After dinner, Yoosung and Eleanora went out onto the outdoor deck to take in the magnificent nighttime view of the towering city skyline and its glittering reflection on the river.  It was the perfect end of an unforgettable day.

 

* * *

 


	9. Aftershock

**Chapter 9: Aftershock**

February 14th  
11:51pm

 

“I’m so tired…” Yoosung mumbled as he stepped through the door to his room.  Eleanora followed behind him. 

“Me too.  It was a big day, wasn’t it?”  She removed her sandals, placing them carefully on the shelf by the door.

As she turned around, Yoosung was standing directly in front of her.  She jumped in surprise.

 _“Yoosung!_ Honey, you startled me!”  Eleanora cried out in surprise.

A tiny cringe flashed on his face, followed by a faint blush, but he did not retreat. 

“I’m sorry, Eleanora.  I-I just wanted to kiss you…and thank you.  This was the best day of my life.”  As he spoke, the distance between his face and Eleanora’s grew smaller and smaller.

Eleanora had no defense against the charms of this precious, adorable boy, as if she would even desire such a thing.  Turning her face upwards to meet him, she leaned in close, until their lips were just barely touching.

“I’m…um…I’m so glad you…had a good time.  I-I…want to…make you…happy…always…” she whispered, distracted by the way her lips brushed his ever so softly as she spoke. 

“Kiss me, Eleanora...please.” he whispered almost imperceptibly against her lips.  Suddenly, without waiting for Eleanora’s response, Yoosung pressed his mouth to hers, placing one hand to the back of her neck, and the other one around the small of her back, pulling her in close. 

Eleanora quickly and enthusiastically returned his kiss, running her fingers into his thick blond hair. 

“Mmmh…” a low moan caught in Yoosung’s throat as he involuntarily rolled his head back into Eleanora’s touch.  Eleanora seized the opportunity to move her lips to Yoosung’s jawline, leaving a light trail of kisses downward to his Adam’s apple, and along the side of his neck.

“You _do...mmnh_...make me happy… _aah_...I love you so much…” Yoosung moaned breathlessly. 

Suddenly, a loud clatter, followed by the crash of shattering glass pierced the quiet of the room.

 

Rudely yanked back into the real world by the commotion, Eleanora spun around to see what had happened.  A small glass vase of flowers, which had been sitting on top of the shelf by the door, had been knocked over, falling to the marble tile floor and shattering into transparent fragments.  Fresh-cut flowers lay scattered amongst a puddle of water slowly sprawling across the tile. 

The culprit, one of Yoosung’s crutches, lay unassumingly on the floor nearby, having been accidentally tipped over by the preoccupied couple.

Eleanora let out an annoyed sigh.  “Aw, jeez.  Let me get this cleaned up.  I’m not bothering the housekeeping staff at this hour,” she said, turning back to face Yoosung and offering her arm for support.  “Here, baby, let's get you away from this mess.  I don’t want you to slip on the puddle or get cut by the glass.”

Yoosung stood, frozen, all traces of color rapidly draining from his face as he stared at the remains of the vase laying in jagged shards in the pool of water on the floor.

 _“Baby?”_   Eleanora’s gaze searched his face for any clue as to what he was thinking. 

He didn’t seem to hear her.

 _“Yoosung?_  What is it?  What's wrong, sweetie?”

No answer. 

He continued to stare blankly at the broken glass, laying amongst the flowers and the water that was slowly spreading on the smooth tile floor.  His expression was slowly morphing into one of abject terror.

Eleanora watched his face in growing alarm.  She instinctively reached for his hands and held them firmly, rubbing the backs of his fingers with her thumbs.  His palms felt cold and somewhat clammy, which increased her worry.  “Come on, honey, talk to me, okay?  What is going on?”

“Th-the b-bottle.  It b-broke…the water...i-it's...” he stuttered, his voice laden with dread.  He began to tremble uncontrollably.

“ _Bottle…?_   What do you m...?” 

Eleanora suddenly realized that he was likely having a flashback to something that happened during his disappearance. 

The broken vase forgotten in an instant, Eleanora shifted into emergency mitigation mode.  Her immediate focus was to get Yoosung into a neutral environment.  She knew the best thing to do was to move him away from whatever was triggering him. 

Gently wrapping her arm around his waist and lifting his arm over her shoulders, she carefully turned him away from the mess, toward her bedroom.  “Come on, baby, let’s go into my room, alright?” She softly and calmly told him as she guided him to the door to the adjacent room.  She would call housekeeping later and ask for someone to clean it up.  Her immediate priority was making sure her Yoosung was okay.

Once in her room, she closed the door, isolating Yoosung from the broken glass.  She stood, facing him in the dimly-lit room.

“The…g-glass…th-the glass…” he stammered almost incoherently through rapid, panicked breaths.  "...so scared..."

 _Why is he scared of broken glass?_ Eleanora wondered.  Once again, she wished she could switch places with him, take these horrible memories from him...or, at the very least, that she knew what happened in that god-forsaken place so that she could help him avoid the things that would bring those memories back to him.

Eleanora leaned in close, placing her hands on either side of his face, leaning in close so that their foreheads were almost touching.  His eyes were closed, his breathing erratic, and his entire body trembled.

“Yoosung, listen to me, okay?  Look at me, baby, and focus on my voice.  You are here with me, safe in our room at Halcyon Sky Health Resort in Dubai.  You are completely safe, and everything is okay.  I’m right here with you, and I love you.  Focus on me, and my voice.  You’re here with me, safe in our room.  Everything is okay, sweetie.”  Her hands moved to his shoulders, rubbing them gently as they moved down his arms, then to his hands—which were cold and sweaty with symptoms of shock.

Her words and the touch of her hands gradually eased Yoosung’s panicked trembling.  He slowly put his arms around Eleanora’s waist, holding onto her as if his life depended on it. 

Eleanora wrapped her arms around him, pressing her hands into his back and rubbing small circles.  “It’s okay, baby.  You’re safe.  Shhh...I'm here.  Everything is okay.”  She whispered into his ear, moving one hand to the back of his head to stroke his hair.

Slowly, she felt his trembling subside, and his tense muscles began to relax.  His body seemed to melt a little in Eleanora's arms.

Yoosung's head dropped onto her shoulder.  Turning his head a bit, he buried his face into the bend of her neck. 

As she continued to hold him tightly, she felt his shoulders begin to shake with silent sobs.

“It’s okay to cry, sweetheart.  Go ahead and let it out.  That's it, baby.  It’s okay…it’s okay.” Eleanora continued to speak soothingly and calmly to him, with one of her hands cradled the back of his head, while the other slowly rubbed lazy circles on his back.

After a few minutes, Eleanora gently guided him to the bed.  “Let’s sit down, sweetie.  You need to get off your leg, especially after being up and around all day.” 

Once he was sitting, she took her place next to him.

It wasn't long before Yoosung had calmed down considerably.  His breathing was slow and steady, and his trembling had stopped.  He reached for Eleanora’s hand, holding it tightly.

“I’m sorry for losing control like that.  I don’t know where it came from…it just…kind of…happened,” he said quietly.  Eleanora took a tissue from the bag she was still carrying, and used it to dry the tears from his hot, red cheeks before handing it to him so that he could blow his nose.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, sniffling loudly.

“Are you okay now, honey?” Eleanora asked Yoosung anxiously, as she carefully brushed several errant locks of hair from his forehead.

“Yeah, I’ll be alright.”

“Would you like to talk about…anything?” Eleanora offered.

“Maybe, if I could remember exactly what happened.  It’s all a blur, mostly just feelings.  I remember broken glass, then being in trouble for it…and being scared.  Then…and then…” his words trailed off, and a distant look came over his face.  His right hand moved slowly to his upper left arm, lightly rubbing a spot between his shoulder and elbow.  Rolling up the sleeve of his jacket, he revealed the round, shiny, pink scar...one of the several burn marks left behind when his captor pressed a red-hot heating element into Yoosung's skin. 

Eleanora opened her mouth to speak…but she was at a loss as to what to say. Instead, she took a sharp intake of breath, and let it out slowly, as tears gathered in her eyes.

Yoosung stared at the spot on his arm as he continued to rub it gingerly. 

Closing his eyes, he continued, his voice low and quiet.  “Then…I-I got...burned.  That…was my punishment for breaking the glass.” He shuddered as the fragmented memory pieced itself together in his mind.

A feeling of helplessness fell over Eleanora.  Her sweet Yoosung was sitting right there next to her, and he was hurting, and there was nothing she could do in this moment to help him. 

She desperately wanted to take the burden from him—go back in time and take his place, or at least take the memories away and let him be free of the hurt and trauma—but all she could do was sit there. 

She felt so horribly… _useless_.

“ _Baby_ …” she said in a fragile voice.  “What can I do to help?  I’ll do anything…”

Sensing her intense sadness, Yoosung seemed to change gears entirely.  Suddenly, he turned to her and wrapped her up in a hug. 

“Eleanora…my precious Eleanora…don’t you realize how much you’re already doing for me--what you've already done--just by being here with me…just by _existing_?”  The emotion in his voice was palpable as he held her tightly.

“You’re the reason I’m still alive.  You’re my strength and my courage.  You’re everything sweet and beautiful in my world, everything that gives me joy and hope...I-I don’t even know how to describe it.  Just being with me, _loving me_ …that’s enough.  It’s more than enough.  I can do anything as long as you’re by my side.”

His words melted Eleanora’s heart, shattering the last bit of willpower that was holding back her own flood of tears.

“I will _always_ be by your side.  No matter what… _Always_.  I love you so much…” she wept.

Several minutes of silence passed as they quietly held each other. 

Both Yoosung and Eleanora were exhausted. 

“I guess we need to get to bed,” Yoosung observed after glancing at the clock.

Eleanora yawned. “I’m tired, but I don’t think my brain is ready to sleep yet.”

“Me neither,” Yoosung concurred.

Turning suddenly, Eleanora lobbed herself across the bed like a penguin diving across the ice, grabbing for the remote control on the bedside table.  Settling in on her side of the bed, she aimed the remote at the TV and turned it on.

“Why don’t we watch some TV for a bit?  That always does the trick for me,” she said as she flipped through the standard television channels.  After perusing the available programming, which was limited at this time of night, she settled on a re-run of _X-Factor UK_.

She then reached over, patting the other side of the bed.  “Want to hang out in here for a while?  Just until you’re ready to go to sleep?”

“Alright…” Yoosung said as he laid down next to her. 

As soon as he was comfortable, Eleanora snuggled up close to him. 

Her hand found his, wrapping her fingers around his tightly. 

She had no intention of letting him get away from her tonight.

By the time _X-Factor_ ended, both of them were fast asleep.

 

* * *

 

1:02am

Eleanora slowly opened her eyes.  The TV was playing an Arabic infomercial for some type of cooking device, and Yoosung was sleeping soundly next to her.  She stared at him for a moment, adoring the sweet, relaxed face underneath his unruly mop of long, brown-blonde hair.  He was close enough to her that she could feel his warmth, and it made her heart dance with joy.

Raising the remote to the screen, she turned the TV off, then leaned over and switched off the lamp on the bedside table.

Darkness filled the quiet room, save for the distant glow of the city lights that spilled through the wall of glass across the room.

Laying back down, she once again reached for Yoosung’s hand, grasping it tightly as she drifted back to sleep next to him.

 

* * *

 


	10. Shelter

**Chapter 10: Shelter**

February 15th  
5:31am

 

The still darkness of the room was shattered by a rapid flash of light, followed shortly by a crashing boom that rattled the windows.

Eleanora startled awake, instantly sitting bolt upright.  Despite growing up on the plains of northern Texas—where thunderstorms are a common occurrence at any time of year—she was terrified of storms, especially in the dark of night.  It had been a long time since she had seen one, and it was not something she was expecting to see in this part of the world. 

Trembling, Eleanora stared, horrified, through the expansive plate glass windows at the lightning-illuminated clouds just outside the window.  Her heart pounded at the walls of her chest.

Suddenly, she felt strong, warm arms reaching around her. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” asked a sweet, sleepy voice beside her.  Looking down, she saw Yoosung’s violet eyes almost glowing in the dark as he gazed up at her in concern.

“I’m…I’m…afraid of thunderstorms…” Eleanora confided to him, glancing down in shame, as a pink blush spread across her cheeks.  “It’s really embarrassing, but I’ve always been afraid of them.”  She flinched as another bolt of lightning and subsequent crack of thunder invaded the quiet room.

Sitting up next to her, Yoosung wrapped her up in a hug.  “No, baby, don’t be embarrassed.  It’s okay.  I don’t like thunderstorms, either.  Don’t worry, I’m here with you.  Don’t be afraid.”  He held her close as another blinding flash of light illuminated the room, just before a mighty crash of thunder shook the walls.  Eleanora pressed in close, as if attempting to bury herself into the safety of Yoosung’s chest. 

“Are we safe way up here?” Eleanora asked nervously.

“Of course we are…all of these skyscrapers are designed to handle all of the types of weather they have here,” Yoosung reassured her.  “Come on, baby, lie down with me.  I’ll keep you safe.”

Yoosung laid down, holding his arms out as an invitation to Eleanora.  She crawled into his arms, curling herself up facing his chest.  She snuggled close to him, pressing her face to the warm, soft cotton of his t-shirt and breathing in his intoxicating essence.  His hands held her firmly and securely, occasionally stroking her long brown hair. 

“It’s okay, baby.  I’ve got you,” Yoosung whispered just after another crack of thunder reverberated through the building, causing Eleanora to shudder.  He then planted a kiss on her forehead.

Eleanora’s trembling subsided as a feeling of calm washed over her.  She felt safe, secure and protected.  The storm was shot-lived, but Eleanora was sound asleep well before the last tired, fading rumbles of thunder called out from across the desert.

 

* * *

 

8:57am

“Good morning, sleepyhead…” the words softly floated into Eleanora’s consciousness.  As she slowly became aware enough to recognize the voice, a smile crept onto her lips.

“There you are—I see that beautiful smile,” she heard the sweet voice again.

Eleanora’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and she was immediately greeted with spellbindingly beautiful amethyst eyes, and a heart-melting smile.

“Hi, gorgeous!”  Yoosung beamed at her.  “Guess what?  I’ve brought you breakfast in bed!  I’m glad you woke up before it started to get cold.”  His expression was one of pure giddiness.

Standing up from the bed, Yoosung limped slowly—without his crutches; only his brace—over to a nearby table, where he picked up a rather large tray containing breakfast for both of them.  Moving slowly and carefully, he carried the heavy-looking tray to the bed.

“ _Goodness_ , Yoosung!  Let me help you…that looks heavy…” Eleanora started to get up, but Yoosung stopped her.

“No!  Don't move!  Just stay right there.  Don't worry…I’ve got it.  Just relax and let me take care of you for a change.  I’ve wanted to do this for a really long time!”  Yoosung grinned with pride as he carefully set the tray down on the bed, then sat down next to it.

The plates on the tray contained a mouthwatering assortment of fresh fruits, along with eggs, toast, sausage, coffee and juice.  After a long day and rough night, she was positively ravenous.

“Thank you, sweetheart.  Wow, this all looks…really, _really_ good.  I’m starving.”  She proceeded to devour a forkful of sausage.

Yoosung giggled, before popping a grape into his mouth.  “Did you sleep well last night…I mean, besides the thunderstorm?”

“Yes, I did.  In fact, it was the best nights’ sleep I’ve had in close to a year—maybe longer.  I think...that maybe…uh…it might be…because…” Eleanora blushed she cast her bashful gaze downward, “because you were right there with me.  I’ve never shared a bed with anyone before…except…you know, family members…sleepovers with girlfriends…stuff like that.  You know what I mean, right?”

As Yoosung watched Eleanora’s shy confession, his cheeks flushed to match hers—causing his sparkling eyes to darken in contrast. 

“Yeah, I know what you mean…” he said softly as he gazed into her eyes, marveling at how incredibly adorable she was...all nestled in the fluffy, thick, white duvet, wild bed-hair, and just a hit of sleepiness still clinging to her voice.  He was positively transfixed.  She looked just like an angel sitting on a cloud.

A moment of silence passed while Eleanora contemplated.  “I loved having you right by my side last night.  I could feel your warmth, your breathing, your heartbeat.  I knew you were safe.  Then, at the same time, having you there with me made me feel so safe, too.  Everything was just…right.  Everything felt exactly as it should be,” she explained. “I’d never felt so…relaxed and secure.”

They finished their breakfast in silence.  Eleanora could tell that Yoosung was wanting to say something, but instead he ate quietly, occasionally gazing at Eleanora with his gorgeous eyes, full of adoration for her. 

After Yoosung finished his meal, he finally spoke.  “You know…I…I’ve…never shared a bed with anyone, either.  At least, not like this.  I thought it was something couples did only when they were…uh…you know, ‘ _doing it’_.  Actually _‘sleeping together’_.”  He lowered his gaze, his face the color of a ripe tomato.  “You know what I mean, right?”  He laughed nervously as he looked up at her again with a crooked, shy little smile.

Eleanora giggled.  _My god, could he possibly be any cuter_ , she thought to herself before replying to him.  “Yes, sweetheart.  I know what you mean.  And no, you don’t have to be ‘doing it’ to share a bed.  It makes things more convenient, and that’s about it.  We don’t have to do anything until…the time is right.” 

“My mom always said that couples shouldn’t sleep together until they were married.”  Yoosung said thoughtfully.

Eleanora nodded.  “My mom said the same thing, but she also acknowledged that it can actually make marriages stronger in the long run if couples tried things out…sleeping together… _and ‘doing it’_ …even living together… _before_ they get married.  Of course, we’re talking about committed relationships, couples who are planning on being married.  It’s kind of like test-driving a car, to make sure everything is fully compatible.”

Yoosung’s forehead wrinkled a bit as he considered what Eleanora said.  “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

Eleanora added, “of course, there’s something you need to remember.  I don’t think we are what _anyone_ would consider a ‘typical’ couple.  There hasn’t been much about us that has happened in the conventional way.  Actually, I can’t think of _anything_ about us that would fall into the same category as ‘normal’.”  She took a sip of orange juice before continuing.  “Therefore, I’m not sure how much the rules and conventions of relationships apply to us.  I think we ought to be free to make some of our own rules…within reason, of course,” she finished with a grin and a knowing wink.

It was a simple, innocent wink, but Yoosung thought his heart might implode.  _How could this angelic creature be so amazingly cute?_

He was pondering this question as Eleanora stood up, intending to gather up the breakfast dishes onto the tray and carry it away.

“No! Wait!  Let me do that!” Yoosung objected, jumping to his feet...a little too fast.

 _“Owww!”_   he cried, falling back to the bed, his face scrunched up in pain.

Eleanora, nearly dropping the tray, set it down on the nearby table and rushed back to the bed.

 _“Yoosung!_ Are you okay?”  

“Yeah, I think so.  I just moved too fast.”

“Honey, you can’t be doing that!”  Eleanora chided as she internally tried to wrangle her suddenly pounding heart back to a safe rhythm.

“I know, I know.  I just wanted to do everything for you this morning.”  Yoosung sounded rightfully chastised. 

Eleanora leaned over and kissed his cheek.  “I understand, baby.  You are so sweet, and I adore you for it.  Just be careful to not get carried away.”

“I’m sorry…”  Yoosung mumbled.

Eleanora placed a finger on his lips.  “Ah-ah-ah.  What did I tell you about the _‘S-word’_?”

 _“Ugh!”_    Feigning exasperation, Yoosung flopped backward onto the bed, sinking into the thick, fluffy, white goose feather duvet.

Eleanora launched herself into the available space next to him.  Giggling, she lifted her head to look at Yoosung.  Her face was almost completely obscured by long, brown hair that had flipped to the front of her head.

“Uh-oh.  Yoosung!  I can't see you!  Where’d you go, baby?”  She playfully squealed as she put her hands out blindly.

“I don’t know…where’d YOU go?  Are you somewhere under this beautiful mess of hair?”  Reaching over, Yoosung 'accidentally' delivered a well-placed tickle to Eleanora’s side.

Shrieking with laughter, Eleanora tossed her head, flipping her hair back to its normal place.  “Oh, I see how it is...you’re playing dirty!  Two can play at that game, you know!” 

Launching herself toward Yoosung, Eleanora quickly repaid the favor.  Laughing uncontrollably, Yoosung curled into a ball as her tickling fingers found their mark.  She knew he was probably ticklish, but she was surprised at just how much so he actually was. 

“Oooh, oh...I need to catch my breath,” Eleanora gasped as she collapsed onto the bed next to Yoosung, who was still giggling like a maniac.  Eleanora loved his laugh—it was so pure and effortless, and incredibly infectious.

After a couple of attempts, Yoosung managed to make words, “Me too!”

Slowly, the laughing spell faded.  As the room fell quiet, Yoosung rolled onto his side, facing Eleanora.  She turned her head to face him, and the two simply gazed at each other in silence, eyes full of adoration.

After what seemed like a few minutes, but it could have been hours—time seemed irrelevant—Yoosung raised up slightly, and hovered over Eleanora.  His face only inches from hers, he lifted his free hand to her cheek, lightly caressing the warm, blushing skin with the backs of his delicate fingers. 

Eleanora closed her eyes, her breath hitching at the back of her throat as the sensation overwhelmed her.  Anticipating a kiss, she waited for a few seconds, before opening her eyes.  Yoosung’s gaze was still fixed on her, a look of mesmerized fascination on his face.

“What is it, sweetie?”  Eleanora asked, reaching up to stroke his long hair from the side of his face.  A tiny smile flickered across his lips, as he closed his eyes and leaned his head into her touch.  He sighed contentedly.

“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” His words were spoken with the sincerity and reverence of a prayer.

“At least as much as I love you,” Eleanora replied.

“You’re so beautiful…” he continued.

Eleanora was growing impatient.  She was laying flat on her back, with the love of her life just inches above her, being entirely too adorable.  She could feel him, smell him, sense his presence in every part of her.  She craved connection with him.

“Just…shut up and kiss me already...you silly goofball.” she implored, with barely constrained urgency.

Without further hesitation, Yoosung obliged. 

His kiss was wild and aggressive.  There was a fiery intensity that he hadn’t expressed before, and Eleanora felt her soul ascending to the outskirts of heaven itself.

Then, the telephone rang, and the spell was broken.

 _“Dammit.”_    Eleanora grumbled as she reached for the phone on the bedside table.

“Hello…” She tried to sound as neutral as possible, but she wasn’t sure that what came out was more than a frustrated growl.

Yoosung stood up, mouthing the words _“I gotta go…”_ as he pointed at the bathroom door.  Eleanora nodded, and he disappeared behind the door. 

“Yes, Miss Shipley?  This is Yadira at the front desk.  Dr. Hammond asked me to call.  Apparently, Mr. Kim had an appointment at 9:30 this morning, and didn’t show up.  Is everything okay?”

Eleanora glanced at the clock on the wall.  It was 9:46. 

_Oh, shit._

 

* * *

 


	11. Countdown

**Chapter 11: Countdown**

February 15th  
9:47am

 

“Oh…um…yikes.  I guess we forgot.  I’m sorry.” Eleanora fumbled, caught completely off-guard.

“No worries, Eleanora.  It’s completely understandable.  Dr. Hammond has had a cancellation this morning and can still see you if you can be here by 10.  Can you make it?” 

“Yes, Yadira. We’ll be there.  Thank you so much for calling.  See you in a few minutes.”

Hanging up the phone, Eleanora called out toward the closed bathroom door.  “Honey?  We need to get to Dr. Hammond’s office…like, 20 minutes ago.  I totally forgot about your appointment.  I think this is the evaluation for your discharge, which means that he’ll be signing off on our medical visas for the return trip to Korea, so it’s really, really important for us to make it.”

There was no answer.  

“Yoosung?  Can you hear me?  Are you okay in there?”  Eleanora started toward the door.  

“Oh!  Yeah....uh…I’m…okay.  Just…hold on.”  He sounded a bit...odd—distracted, out of breath, and a peculiar strain in his voice.

“Are you sure?”  Eleanora wasn’t entirely convinced.  Her hand hovered just above the door handle.

“Yeah…I’ll be out in a minute.”  She heard the shower turn on.

 _“Okay, then…”_ she muttered to herself, as she slowly stepped back from the door.

At that point, Eleanora was about 95 percent sure of what was going on in there.  Considering how... _intense_...things had been getting before the phone call, she was relatively certain that he had retreated to the bathroom to take care of his... _needs_.  She felt a weird mixture of awkwardness...and a twinge of jealousy.  She would be more than happy to help him with this sort of thing, but she was not willing to push the issue until he made it clear that he was ready.  She was absolutely adamant that _he_ would be the one to decide when their relationship would move to the next level.

With a small sigh, she shrugged in resignation, and proceeded to get ready to leave.

It was almost 10 o'clock when Yoosung emerged from the bathroom, dressed and ready to go, but a bit disheveled.  His face was flushed a deep crimson.

“Sorry,” he mumbled shyly as he slipped on his shoes and adjusted his brace.

Eleanora shook her head with a slight giggle.  She was tempted for a split second to teasingly ask him if everything went okay for him in there, but decided against it.

“If we hurry, we can still get there on time…”

 

* * *

 

10:16am

 

“Let’s take a look at this leg,” Dr. Hammond said as he removed the brace from Yoosung’s leg.  Carefully, he rolled up the knit sweatpants to the knee, and began palpitating the bones and muscles.

Yoosung grimaced slightly.  Eleanora held his hand.

“Is it still hurting?”  Dr. Hammond asked.

Yoosung nodded.  “Yes, but only a little.  It’s much better than last week.” 

Dr. Hammond placed one hand on the leg above the ankle, and the other one underneath the ball of Yoosung’s foot.  Gently, but firmly, he flexed the foot upward, concentrating on the movement of the muscles in the leg.  Eleanora felt him squeeze her hand as he exhaled slowly through clenched teeth.

“I apologize if this hurts,” Dr. Hammond said as he continued to move the leg through a series of exercises and tests to determine his range of motion.

As he finished, he nodded approvingly.  “As always, Yoosung, you continue to impress me with your progress.  It’s only been one week since the cast came off, and you’ve already built up some nice muscle tone.  Rebuilding atrophied muscle is hard and sometimes painful work, but you’ve done an amazing job in a very short amount of time.  This looks like at least a month’s worth of development—and it’s only been seven days.  Simply incredible.”

As Dr. Hammond replaced the brace on Yoosung’s leg, Eleanora beamed with pride.  Squeezing Yoosung’s hand, she whispered to him, “I’m so proud of you, baby!”  He returned her smile.

“Right, then...” Dr. Hammond began, “here’s the plan.  I’m going to sign off on your release form and your medical travel visa.  You’ll still officially be under my care until you set foot back in South Korea, but once you get home, you’ll need to get in touch with an orthopedic specialist to continue managing your recovery.  You’ll need to continue your counseling as well.  I happen to know a few individuals in both disciplines in the Seoul area.  I’ll get you a list and have it delivered to your room later on today.

“I’ll also make sure you have all your medication scripts in order, and that you have an adequate supply to take home with you.  You’ll need to be sure to hang onto the documentation for the airport officials.

“Just a few things I want to make sure you remember.  First, keep wearing the brace until your doctor at home tells you that you can stop wearing it.  Second, do not bear any weight on that leg without the brace—not even a little bit!  Third, you can use one or both of your crutches if you need to, especially if you have to be up and around for more than a little while.

Dr. Hammond paused to page through Yoosung’s chart.  “It looks like you have one more visit with Nasir, tomorrow afternoon.  I trust that he will have his own discharge instructions for you, and they’ll probably be similar to mine, but since he’s essentially a god among orthopedic rehab therapists, it’s a good idea to listen to whatever he has to say,” he chuckled.

“Really…that’s about it.  Just be careful, be smart.  Don’t over-do it.  Keep doing your exercises.  I tend to worry about a lot of my patients when I release them, but I’m not at all worried about you.  You’re doing great, and you have amazing support in this remarkable young lady right here.  I know you’re in good hands.”

Yoosung smiled, “That’s absolutely true.”  He stroked his thumb across Eleanora’s knuckles, causing her heart to flutter as she uttered a shy “Thanks” to the doctor for his unexpected compliment. 

She felt happier than she had ever been in her life.

 

* * *

 

11:33am

 

After leaving Dr. Hammond’s office, the pair took a leisurely stroll along the Sky Concourse, hand in hand.  They stopped at the observation area, gazing out at the city skyline.  The sky was grey, like watered silk, the sun barely a shimmery spot breaking through the solid layer of silvery clouds above the city.  Everything below seemed fresh and clean, and still wet from the morning’s rain.

“I think I’m going to miss this place,” Eleanora said wistfully.

Yoosung nodded in agreement. “Me too.  It feels like we’ve been here for ages, even though it’s only been a couple of months.”

“Are you anxious to get home?” she asked him.

“I…I…don’t know,” Yoosung hesitated, as if he were caught off-guard by his own uncertainty.  “I mean, it sounds like it should be a no-brainer.  But, what am I going home to?  I have no idea.  I’m not stupid enough to expect anything to be the same.  The life I knew is gone, and I feel kind of sad about that.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to start a new chapter with you by my side, but…I’m just not sure how to feel about…everything.  Should I be anxious?  Excited?  Sad?  Nervous?  Happy?  I don’t know…”

Eleanora was not expecting such a complicated response, though she chided herself for not knowing better.  _Of course he’s struggling with this._   She pressed her hand soothingly on the small of his back, rubbing small circles. 

“You don’t have to feel any particular way, sweetie.  This isn’t a scripted drama where everything is planned a certain way and written out ahead of time.  Just feel what you feel,” she reassured him.

“I wish there _was_ a script, or something.  I hate not knowing what to expect, how to feel, or…really, what to do.  I just wish there was a book of instructions, or a study guide, or something…that could tell me how things are supposed to be.”  Yoosung sighed as he stared at the vast cityscape below.

Eleanora took a step closer to him, wrapping one arm around his waist, and resting her other hand on his chest.  Pressing in close to him, she laid her head against his shoulder. 

Suddenly inspired, she looked up at him.

“You know what, Yoosung?  You don’t have to have it all figured out.  I don’t think anyone, anywhere, has their act together all the time.  That’s just how life is, baby.  I don’t know what this next step is going to be like either.  But—there is one thing I _do_ know, that is absolute truth:  I love you, with every fiber of my being…and I’ll be with you every step of the way.  I’ll help you, and you’ll help me.  We’ll get it all figured out, together.  We’re our own little team, you know, and we’ll handle anything life throws at us.”  Eleanora finished by tilting her head up and planting a kiss on Yoosung’s cheek.

“Eleanora Shipley, you are a marvel.  You always know _exactly_ how to make me feel so good.  You melt my heart.”  Yoosung smiled the kind of smile that set his eyes ablaze with deep violet sparks.  The kind of smile that never failed to make Eleanora go weak at the knees. 

_How is it possible for someone to be so incredibly cute?_

Suddenly feeling like a giddy schoolgirl, she barely managed to stifle a giggle. “I didn’t really _do_ anything, I just reminded you of a simple, unchangeable fact.”

Gathering her in his arms, he said, “You do so much without even realizing it.  Just by existing, and being in my life, you’ve changed everything—you’ve changed me—forever.  I’ll never be able to say just how thankful I am for you, for you coming into my life.  I was never really sure if there was a God out there, but your love proves to me that there is a God, and that he sent you to save me.”

“Oh…Yoosung….” Eleanora faltered, completely swept away by his powerful and sincere declaration.  She felt tears prickling at her eyes.

“Here I was thinking that I’m the blessed one here,” she said, her words tripping over the lump in her throat.

“Maybe we’re _both_ blessed.” 

 

* * *

 


	12. Trust Fall

**Chapter 12: Trust Fall**

February 15th  
7:21pm

 

“If I had known how comfy your bed was, I’d have slept in here more often.”  Yoosung said as he sank into the pillows that Eleanora had arranged in a big pile at the head of her bed.

“Oh, really?” said Eleanora playfully, “I’d have been okay with that.”  She giggled as she watched Yoosung blush.  Sometimes, she could hardly stand just how adorable her sweet boyfriend was.

After a lazy afternoon taking in the view on the Concourse, to include a few rounds of chess at the observation area, Yoosung and Eleanora had returned to their room for the evening, opting to cuddle together in Eleanora’s bed and watch a movie.

Eleanora snuggled up next to Yoosung.  She was comfortably dressed in soft knit shorts and a tank top.  She pointed the remote at the TV on the opposite wall. 

“What’s our movie for tonight?  Your turn to pick.” She scrolled through the titles.

“I really liked the one we watched the other night.  The one about the princess in Rome.  Any other movies like that?”  Yoosung asked.

 _“Wellllll….”_ Eleanora drew out the word as she tapped some words into the search box, “There’s another good movie with the same actress, Audrey Hepburn.  Several good ones, actually, but one in particular…  Hmm… _let’s see_...” She scrolled down the list of movies.  “Oh…here’s the one I was thinking about.  It’s called _Sabrina_ , and it’s about a girl who’s the daughter of a chauffeur that works for a wealthy family in New York.  She gets involved in a sort of love triangle with the family’s two sons.  Want to watch it?”

“Sure!  It sounds interesting,” said Yoosung.

Eleanora pressed play, and the movie began.  As the two of them cuddled together, time seemed to slow down, and the world seemed to lull into comfortable perfection. 

Eleanora knew the movie by heart, so during most of the movie, her eyes were trained on her sweetheart, who was watching intently and seeming to enjoy it.  She stared at his face, and for the millionth time, she tried to memorize every beautiful detail.  What part of him was her favorite?  Was it his gloriously beautiful amethyst eyes?  His perfect, delectable lips?  That graceful jawline that was so tempting to her own wandering lips?  She was blown away at just how much she loved every little detail about him.

_…and he was hers._

_…and she was his._

_…and all was right in the world._

Once again, she felt overcome with love for him, and carefully pulled herself closer to him, resting her arm across his chest.  Without diverting his eyes from the movie, Yoosung responded by tightening his arm around her shoulders, and laid his other hand over the one Eleanora had placed on his chest.  His fingers gently wrapped around hers. 

Eleanora sighed contentedly; she never felt so completely happy and secure as she did in Yoosung’s arms.

 

* * *

 

9:24pm

 

By the time that the movie was over, Eleanora had dozed off with her head resting on Yoosung’s shoulder. 

He looked down at her, gazing at her face from above.  The feeling that washed over him was just short of overwhelming.  She was truly the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes on, and her beauty permeated her being, right to the core of her soul. 

 _And she loved him._   She had proven it to him…over and over again.

Part of him still couldn’t believe it...who was he to deserve such an exquisite prize? 

He had never thought of himself as anything special—he was just an ordinary guy.  He wasn’t rich like Jumin, a genius hacker like Seven, or a gorgeous, talented actor with legions of adoring fans, like Zen. 

He was just…Yoosung.  Simple, plain Yoosung…the baby of the RFA.  He had no idea why someone like her would have chosen _him_ , but he would never take for granted the miracle of her love. 

Every sacrifice he had made for her, he would gladly do all over again.  _All of it_ —every single bit.  He would do anything he needed to do in order to keep her safe and happy, and to be worthy of her.

Feeling a slight lump rising in his throat, he leaned his head over slightly and kissed her head, lingering for a moment to take in the sweet scent of her hair…like honey and vanilla. 

Such intoxicating, sweet perfection…

His thoughts trailed off as Eleanora started to stir.

“I’m sorry, honey.  I didn’t mean to wake you,” Yoosung said softly, kissing her head again.

“Mmm?” Eleanora mumbled as she opened her eyes and sleepily looked up at Yoosung.  “Oh…I’m sorry, sweetie.  I didn’t mean to fall asleep.  Is the movie over?”

“Yes, it just ended.  It was really good.  You know what’s weird?  The two brothers—they kind of reminded me a little bit of Zen and Jumin.  You know, the younger one is a flirty womanizer, and the older one a no-nonsense businessman.” 

“Hmm…I can see the similarities,” agreed Eleanora. "Especially with the dynamic of their relationship.  Couldn't you just see Jumin tricking Zen the way Linus tricked David with the wine glasses?"

"Oh, yes.  Totally something Jumin would do!  And he'd blame it on Zen, of course!"  They both dissolved into giggles.

Once the laughing died down, Yoosung added, “Watching this movie also made me wish that we could go to Paris someday.”

Eleanora yawned.  “Who knows?  Maybe we will.  I never imagined in a million years that I'd end up in Dubai, and yet, here we are…so I guess nothing is too far-fetched!” Eleanora said with a laugh.

Eleanora turned her head up toward Yoosung, and gazed into his eyes.  He stared, wordlessly, back into hers.

After a moment, he spoke, “My God, Eleanora…you are _so_ beautiful.”

Eleanora blushed.  “Thanks, sweetie.  You are too—dazzlingly so.”

The corners of Yoosung’s mouth turned up a tiny bit, as if he was trying to stifle a laugh. 

 _“Dazzlingly?_ That almost sounds like a tongue-twister.  Are you sure it's an actual word?" he giggled.

“Yes, it is.  _Dazzle-ling-ly_." Eleanora cringed as she broke the word down...Yoosung was right, it wasn't a word she wanted to say ten times fast.  "In other words: I am _'dazzled'_ by how gorgeous you are.  There, is that better?” Eleanora cringed— _how cheesy did she just sound?_ —but managed a giggle as the blush on her face deepened.

The room once again fell quiet.  Yoosung’s fingers released her hand, and slowly traced their way up her arm.  He lightly stroked her chin, before hooking underneath and lifting her head so that he could lean in for a sweet, tender kiss. 

Eleanora loved it when he took the lead like this, and she loved it even more that he was doing so more often lately. 

She desperately wanted to advance their relationship physically, but she was afraid of triggering painful memories for him.  She was determined to not say or do anything to make him feel pressured, and to let him decide when he was ready to take things to the next level.

As the long, lingering kiss continued, Eleanora felt his hand moving up her neck, and around the back of her head.  The sensation of his fingers running through her hair caused a cascade of tingles to race throughout her body, and a small, involuntary moan uttered from her throat.

Slowly, she moved her hand upward, gliding smoothly over the cotton fabric of Yoosung’s t-shirt.  She took her time, relishing the warmth of his body, the rise and fall of his breathing, the beating of his heart.  Eventually, she reached base of his neck.  Her fingers explored the edge of his shirt collar, and the soft skin just beyond.  She paused her advance at the boundary of his shirt fabric.

Gently breaking away from their kiss, she quietly whispered, her lips brushing the side of his mouth, “Baby…may I touch you?  _Please?”_

Yoosung gazed at her with half-lidded eyes.  Slowly, he closed them as he pulled her back to him.

He took a deep breath.  “Uh-huh…” he whispered against her lips.  He had never sounded so sexy, and Eleanora silently prayed that she could have the self-control to not go too far. 

She wanted him _so badly_.

Emboldened by his permission, Eleanora slowly moved her hands over his skin, sliding gracefully up his neck toward his hairline.  Her fingertips gently traced over the pale pink rough patches that still were still faintly noticeable in a thin ring around his neck—subtle remainders from the leather collar that Yoosung wore for so long during his time in captivity. 

Moving further, her fingers then made their way into his thick, messy hair.  The intensity of their kiss increased; Eleanora opened her mouth, tentatively offering the tip of her tongue.  Yoosung responded by parting his lips and allowing her into his mouth.  Her tongue explored every part of him, savoring the subtle, sweet taste of his mouth.  His flavor reminded her of summer—of sticky, sweet popsicles on sultry, hot, sunny days.  He responded in kind, his soft, warm tongue probing her delicious mouth.

Tipping her forehead to meet his, she whispered, “Do you have any idea what you do to me, Yoosung?  Do you know that you are my whole world?  Promise you’ll be mine forever.  Don’t ever leave me.”

The violet facets of Yoosung’s eyes seemed to blaze with a thousand fiery sparks as he stared up into Eleanora’s eyes of glowing amber.

“I’m yours, and I always will be.  I promise.  I won’t leave you, ever.  I love you more than anything in the world.”  His voice was breathy and dark, almost gritty, and full of fiery passion.

He took her hands into his, slowly guiding them to his chest.  Eleanora sat back slightly, staring at his hands as they pressed her palms against the center of his chest.  Her fingers felt the rapid pounding of his heart through the thin cotton fabric of his t-shirt.  She looked up at his face questioningly.

“What are you wanting me to do, sweetheart?” she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.

Yoosung’s burning gaze remained fixed on her face.

“Touch me.”  His words were firm and decisive, but Eleanora detected a subtle edge in his voice that made her feel a little nervous.

“Baby…are you sure?”  Eleanora felt a simultaneous rush of excitement,  tempered with a sense of apprehension. 

“I…I think…I…I- _I don’t know_ ,” he faltered. His eyes shifted downward as doubt shaded his face. 

Eleanora recalled the awful incident nearly two weeks ago, when her touch caused Yoosung to relive memories of the abuse he had suffered.  She couldn’t bear the thought of him going through that again, especially if she’s the one who triggers it. 

She stammered, “Th-then…maybe we shouldn’t…”

Yoosung cut her off.  “Eleanora… _I want you_.  I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life.  I want to get past everything that happened.  The best way I know to do that is to drown out the old memories and feelings with new ones.  You’re the only one who can help me get through this.  _I trust you_.  I-I don’t know if I’m ready, but I want to try.  Just, please, be patient with me…”

Eleanora felt her heart jump into her throat. 

A strange combination of fear and overwhelming desire coursed through her veins as she processed what Yoosung had just said.  She took a deep breath.

“Okay, baby.  We'll just take it one step at a time.  But…if you ever feel uncomfortable at all, we can stop.  I don’t want to cause you any hurt.  You have to promise that you’ll tell me.  Don't let me do anything that hurts you or upsets you in any way.   _Promise_ me this?”  As she spoke, she turned her hands so that they were holding his tightly.

Yoosung nodded.  “I promise.”

Eleanora released her grip on his hands, then slowly drew her fingers downward toward the hemline of Yoosung’s shirt.  Sliding her fingers under the edge of the fabric, she softly touched the warm skin underneath.  Pulling up, she gradually lifted his shirt.  She could feel a slight tension build in his muscles as she gingerly uncovered his torso.  Sitting up slightly, Yoosung allowed her to pull the shirt over his head, then laid back against the pillows as she tossed the shirt to the floor.

Eleanora had not seen him without a shirt since the day of his rescue.  Although she was well aware of the number and nature of his injuries, she was still overwhelmed at the sight of the many scars that marred his beautiful, pale skin.  Thin marks of varying lengths randomly crisscrossed his chest—traces of the many times the blade of a knife or a leather whip had broken his skin.  Round pink scars of different sizes appeared to be the aftermath of burns.  The large, purple scar on his lower stomach was what remained of the stab wound that nearly killed him.

Eleanora tried in vain to hold back tears as she surveyed the physical reminders of the horrific suffering he had endured… _for her_.  Her breath drained out of her lungs as she felt her heart shatter into pieces.

“Oh…sweetie…” she choked on her words as tears began to fall.

“Please…I want to feel your hands on me.  It’s okay, baby.  I’m okay, I promise...”  Although his words conveyed reassurance, it was belied by the tension that was growing in the sound of his voice.

“ _Yoosung_ …”

Without another word, he took her hands once again, and placed them onto his bare skin.  Eleanora exhaled softly as she lightly caressed him.  She carefully and intently watched his face, paying close attention to his breathing, watching for any sign that he was in distress.

Bending down, she kissed his forehead.  As she did this, she noticed tiny beads of sweat were forming just below his hairline.  He slowly rolled his head to the side, seeming to offer his neck to her.

“Kiss me here.  _Please..."_   He quietly requested.

Eleanora placed a small kiss on his cheek, and another on his lips, before moving to his jawline.  As she worked her way to the column of his neck, she sensed his shoulders tensing up, and his breath catching in his throat.  A strangled moan died a slow death before it could reach his lips.

“Baby…are you okay?” she asked, alarmed.

 _“Yeah...”_   Yoosung replied in what was barely more than a whisper.  His eyes were closed, and his voice sounded almost strained.

Eleanora once again stroked his chest, gingerly touching each of the scars.  Bending down, she began to plant kisses on each one.  Although they were physically healed, she desperately hoped that her kisses would somehow make everything more… _okay_.  Before long, her tears spilled over, dropping warm, salty droplets on Yoosung’s skin. 

Despite his reassuring words, she could clearly sense that he was struggling.  He kept his eyes tightly closed, his forehead furrowed as if he was in pain.  Occasionally, he seemed to flinch under her touch, which broke Eleanora’s heart.  Was he reliving the pain as she touched him?

“Sweetie...I feel like I’m hurting you.  _I—I can't do this...._   I don’t want to hurt you, ever.”  Eleanora choked on a small sob.

“No, honey.  You’re not hurting me.  _I promised I’d tell you_ , remember?  Please…Eleanora… _I need you…”_   The strain in his voice was still there, but there was an underlying sense of determination that tugged at her heart.

His eyes met hers with a pleading gaze. “… _please_.  Don’t stop.” 

Eleanora felt so torn.

Suddenly, Yoosung sat up, and wrapped his hands around the sides of Eleanora’s head, swiftly but gently pulling her in for another kiss. 

This one was different, though.  It was full of wild, primal need and desperation; as if it were the only chance he would ever have to kiss her for the rest of his life. 

Eleanora's mind spun in dizzying circles, as a million sparks of color and light exploded throughout her body. Nothing she had ever experienced compared to this.

Was it possible to get drunk from a kiss?

“Please, Eleanora…” he groaned into her mouth, _“I need you so much…”_

Overpowered by the intensity of his kiss, and the urgency of his plea, Eleanora no longer had full control of herself.  She began acting on pure, animal instinct.  Her hands freely explored his body, gradually working their way down to the waistband of his sweatpants. 

Yoosung tensed up again, but made no move to retreat from her.

“Is this what you want, baby?”  Eleanora said, lightly running her fingers over the skin just above the band of his pants.

“Y-yes.  _Please_.” His answer was barely audible, but unmistakable.

Eleanora slid her fingers under the elastic waistband, lifting it and pulling it over the growing bulge in his boxer shorts.  Yoosung lifted his hips just enough to assist her in removing his pants, which she then flung to the floor at the foot of the bed.

Yoosung then laid back down on the pillows, covered only by the thin fabric of his shorts.  Eleanora searched his face questioningly.  She had difficulty in reading his expression, which seemed to be registering somewhere between anticipation and terror. 

He nodded his head almost imperceptibly, closing his eyes.  The blush on his face grew deeper by the moment, spreading all the way between his ears and down his neck.

Eleanora whispered, “Yoosung...baby... _are you sure_ that you want this?”

“Yeah.  I’m sure.” he replied breathlessly.

She slowly slipped her fingers under the waistband of his boxers, and in a moment they joined the rest of his clothes on the floor. 

For the first time since his time in captivity, he was naked and vulnerable in the presence of someone else.  Only this time, it was on his terms, and with someone he trusted, and loved with all of his heart.

Eleanora leaned down beside him, supporting herself on her elbow, so that her face was close to his.  Cradling his face in her hand and gazing into his eyes, she said, “Before we do anything else, I want you to listen to me, okay?  First of all, _you are in control here_ , and we will only go as far as you are comfortable.  Second of all, I want you to only think of me, no matter what.  _Nobody_ _else_ is allowed to touch you.  If anything else comes into your mind, tell me and I’ll help you chase it away, okay?”

“Okay,” he murmured softly.

Eleanora’s hands delicately glided over his stomach, his hips, and his upper thighs.  As she worked up her courage, she moved gradually closer to his semi-erect cock.  Yoosung squirmed a little, his eyes closed tightly, occasionally moaning and whimpering in response to her touch.  His breathing became more rapid and irregular.

“Shhh…it’s okay, sweetie. Think only of me,” Eleanora whispered reassuringly.

Soon, she was gingerly stroking the hairs at the base of his cock.  Trembling fingers wrapped around the shaft. 

"Ahhh..ahhah" Yoosung gasped, and Eleanora could feel his body tense up. 

“It’s me, baby.  I love you.  Just think of me…”  Eleanora sensed him relaxing a bit at her words.

Gradually, she moved her hand up the shaft, applying light pressure.  A long, low whimper escaped Yoosung's lips.  She then moved her hand back down, eliciting another moan. 

Again, she slowly stroked his length.  Her gaze was solidly fixed on her lover’s face, watching for any sign that she needed to stop. 

As badly as she craved more physical contact with him, she fully understood that this moment was _for him_ , and that this was a crucial step in the healing of his heart and mind. 

As she worked him with her hand, Yoosung was becoming more and more vocal.  He kept his eyes tightly shut, and his face was contorted as if he was in pain.  His hands wildly grasped at the bedding beneath him, his fingers digging into the handfuls of fabric.

 _“Baby…?”_    Eleanora’s movement slowed as she sought some reassurance that he was doing okay.  She almost felt like she was violating him, and that thought was far beyond anything she could bear. 

“Don’t stop…Ahhh... _God_ …Please, Eleanora…need…you…hrrngh...haah.” His soft whimpers were laced with both desperation and fear.  

A wave of panic shot through Eleanora—she didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly, a moment of clarity sliced through her doubts and fears, Eleanora finally understood what Yoosung was needing of her.  She also realized the best way to provide it to him. 

Summoning up her courage, she bent down and kissed his quivering lips, her hand still pumping his cock. 

Wordlessly informing him of her intentions, her mouth then began a slow, southward migration, leaving a trail of kisses on his jaw, his neck, his chest, and his stomach.  Soon, she was nuzzling the base of his dick, exhaling her warm breath onto his most sensitive parts. 

“Ohhh my _God_ …Haaaaahh…”  Yoosung gasped loudly, grabbing fistfuls of the sheets.  Eleanora rolled her fingers across the head of his cock, then pressed her lips to the tip, before swirling her tongue around the head.  Then, she opened her mouth and took him in as far as she could.

The sensation sent Yoosung into orbit. 

Crying out loudly, his back arched, sending his head further into the pillows.  His grip on the sheets was almost enough to rip them, and he managed to pull one corner loose from the mattress.

Eleanora started to bob her head up and down, slowly at first, then with increasing speed.  She ran her tongue and lips along his length.  Every couple of pumps, she would swirl her tongue around and over the head, eliciting a loud moan each time.  She hollowed her cheeks on each stroke, causing a slurping sound that sounded downright vulgar. 

She had never done this before, but she had (involuntarily) overheard enough of her roommates’ conversations to have picked up some useful information that she had mentally filed away until the right moment arrived.

And, indeed, it had.

As her mouth worked, her hands lightly stroked and caressed Yoosung’s legs, stomach, hips and waist.  Wrapping one hand around the base of his cock, Eleanora slipped her other hand underneath her chin and gently cupped it around his scrotum.  As she applied slight pressure with her hands, she pressed her tongue to the underside of his shaft, slowly pulling up as she rolled her hand over his balls. 

"F-f-fuuu...ck.  Oh....my....E-elea...nora..." 

Eleanora was a bit surprised to hear Yoosung drop an f-bomb, and she found it to be incredibly sexy.  Hoping to elicit that reaction again, she repeated the motions. 

Yoosung practically screamed in response, fisting the sheets in both hands and curling in on himself. 

Soon, she felt him tensing up again, but this time was different.  His thighs became rigid, his back arched, and he cried out her name in a throaty, broken voice. 

As he neared the edge, he only saw Eleanora. 

He felt her essence in every part of him—she filled his lungs with each breath, and she permeated the blood coursing through his veins. 

She alone possessed him completely, and he felt safe. 

 _This_ is how it was supposed to feel. 

Instead of betrayal, he felt redemption.  He felt salvation.  He felt secure.  He felt _loved_ —mind, body and soul.

Suddenly, he felt like he was being plunged into a swirling ocean of light, baptizing his soul in every precious ounce of her love for him.

“Elea…nor...a….Oh, _God_ …I-I’m... _Hahhhhh_...” 

Acting as if on instinct, Eleanora quickly took him into her mouth as far as she could. 

Yoosung cried out a fragmented, broken string of incoherent syllables, his back once again arching off of the bed, as a warm, salty-sweet fluid spilled into the back of Eleanora’s throat. 

He then collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted.

After a few seconds, she slowly raised herself up, sliding her lips and tongue over his softening cock one more time as she released him from her mouth.  She savored the small trail of cum that was left on her tongue as she pulled off of him. 

Having no previous experience with this sort of thing, she was pleasantly surprised at how nice he tasted.  Eleanora sat up, feeling a bit dizzy from her exertion, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  Quickly, she turned her attention to Yoosung, who was still writhing and moaning softly in front of her.

Slowly rolling on his side, he curled into the fetal position.

Anxiously, she asked, “baby…are you okay?”

“Mmmm…hmmhhh…” he answered in a shattered whimper, and Eleanora realized that he was crying.  Tears streamed from the corners of his tightly closed eyes.  Releasing his death-grip on the sheets, he covered his face with his hands and wept, his sobs growing in intensity.

“Oh, _honey_ …no…”  Horrified, Eleanora grabbed the blanket, quickly wrapped him up, then slipped her arms around him, holding him tightly to her and rocking him gently.

 _“Oh, no...nonono… God--what have I done?”_  she whispered in horror.  Her heart hurt at the notion that she’d caused him harm.

“Talk to me, baby.  Did I hurt you?  I’m so sorry.”  Eleanora was horrified.  _I knew it shouldn’t have gone that far,_ she fiercely scolded herself as her own tears began to fall.

“N…no…” stammered Yoosung, as he trembled in her arms, “No.  It’s just…overwhelming.  You…you were…amazing.  I never knew…it could be…like that.  I love you so much.” His words were punctuated with quiet sobs. 

“Thank you,” he whispered softly.

Eleanora melted with relief.  She held him close as he continued to weep softly.  “I love you,” she whispered into his ear, over and over again.

Soon, exhaustion claimed both of them, and they fell asleep wrapped up tightly in each other’s arms.

 

* * *

 


	13. Farewell, and Goodnight

**Chapter 13: Farewell, and Goodnight**

February 18th  
6:53pm

 

Yoosung was standing nervously in the observation area, wearing dress pants and a crisp, starched shirt and dress jacket, waiting for his beloved Eleanora.  His hair, freshly trimmed and dyed back to its normal blond color to remove nearly a year’s worth of brown root growth, was carefully swept to the sides, softly framing his face.  His eyes were glowing with a purple flame set off by the last rays of the setting sun.

Tomorrow, they were going home.  This was their last night to spend high above the desert city, and he wanted to make it extra special.  The cozy corner of the observatory was alight with flickering candles, and vases containing red roses.  A table nearby, covered in an elegant black cloth, held place settings for a candlelit dinner for two.  He carefully surveyed the scene, making sure everything was perfect.

His Eleanora deserved nothing less.

Gazing out through the expansive, three-story high wall of plate glass window, located nearly a hundred stories over Dubai, Yoosung thought once again about Eleanora.  She was his dream come true, his very own angel.  He had saved her from danger, and she had then saved him.  He could never begin to figure out what he had done to deserve such a priceless treasure in his life, let alone earn the boundless, unflinching, unconditional love she so freely gave him.  He was determined to do whatever it takes to be everything Eleanora needed, and to be the man who deserved her love.

Turning around, and running a hand mindlessly through his hair, he glanced down the sky concourse, looking for any sign of Eleanora.  The nighttime lighting from the massive abstract metal sculptures in the ceiling had just came on, bathing the glass and shining metal expanse with all hues of light and color.  There were only a few dozen people scattered about the concourse, as normal business hours for the public had ended, and only residents and guests remained on the premises, enjoying the nighttime amenities the resort had to offer.  Yoosung turned again to look down the length of the concourse.  He narrowed his eyes, scanning each face of the several dozen or so people who were going about their business.

Then _…he saw her._

And everyone else vanished…there was only her—his Eleanora.

She was at the other end of the concourse, moving toward him.  She was dressed resplendently in a gown that could only be described as the color of spun starlight.  Tiny jeweled straps hugged her shoulders, the silvery fabric draped delicately over body, perfectly framing her curves as it spilled to the floor.  Her skin glowed as if she were lit from within.  Her chestnut hair fell in shimmering waves to her elbows, her bangs softly swept aside to reveal her honeyed-amber eyes. 

She hadn’t seen him yet.  Yoosung stood, transfixed by the vision of loveliness moving toward him, step by step, moving effortlessly through the milieu of people and activity as if she was floating.  Time seemed to slow down, and he couldn’t decide if he wanted this bewitching moment to linger, or if he wanted to hurry up and have her in his arms.

 

* * *

 

As Eleanora walked slowly down the concourse, where she was to meet Yoosung for a special dinner date celebrating their last night in Dubai, she felt as if she were floating in a dream world.  As she walked alongside the massive windows in the sky, she could almost feel the clouds at her feet.  The setting sun painted everything within its reach in an explosion of vibrant color.  Her dress was a surprise from Yoosung; who bought it from one of the boutiques on the Concourse, after seeing her admire it a few weeks ago.  It seemed to reflect all of the light and ambient colors at once.  She had never thought of herself as pretty, but in that moment, she felt truly beautiful.

Then… _she saw him._

And everything else around her disappeared…there was only him—her Yoosung.

He stood at the end of the concourse, in a dark suit and red tie, his hands buried in his pockets.  He looked completely adorable…sweet and innocent, yet irresistibly alluring and sexy.  She froze for a moment as her eyes met his, but quickly resumed her advance toward the boy she loved more than anything in the world.  He was her prince, her Shooting Star, her heart's treasure, her Yoosung.

 

Soon, she was standing before him.  For a moment, the pair stood, frozen in place, simply staring at each other, mesmerized.

 

“Wow.  You look…amazing,” Eleanora breathed as soon as she found her ability to speak.

Yoosung, still unable to put his feelings into words, simply lifted his hand to Eleanora’s face, caressing her cheek.  The look in his eyes—a violet swirl of passion…wonder…yearning—made Eleanora ache deep inside.  Closing her eyes, she took his hand, bringing it to her lips and kissing his fingertips. 

“You…You’re so…beautiful,” Yoosung finally managed to speak.  Eleanora smiled and lowered her eyes as a blush warmed her cheeks.

“You’re not so bad, yourself, sexy,” Eleanora reached up and tenderly swept a lock of hair off of his forehead. “I love your hair.”

“Th-thanks,” Yoosung stuttered, still struggling to form coherent words. “It’s nice to have it back to normal.” 

Suddenly, he remembered something important. 

“Oh!  Um… there’s dinner.  Are you hungry?”  Yoosung spun around, somewhat awkwardly gesturing toward the beautifully set table behind him.

“I am.” Eleanora allowed him to seat her at the table.  Yoosung then sat across from her.

Eleanora looked around, admiring the candles, the view, the amazing sunset, and the incredibly gorgeous, sexy man sitting across from her. 

“I wanted our last night in Dubai to be perfect for you, Eleanora.”  He looked up at her with a shy smile.  “Did I do a good job?”

Eleanora giggled, “What kind of question is that, silly?  _Of course_ you did a good job!  This is amazing!  I can’t think of a better way to spend this evening.  Thank you…for all of this.”

A member of the concierge staff brought out their meal, and a chilled bottle of fine champagne. 

 

* * *

 7:49pm

 

“Dinner was amazing, Yoosung.  You did a fantastic job planning all of this.  I don’t think I’ve ever felt this …special.”  Eleanora said as she slipped her hand into his. 

They were standing a few feet away from the massive wall of windows, overlooking the cityscape.  The colorful lights below were softly diffused by a blanket of fog, creating an unearthly, ethereal glow.  Above, brilliant stars decked out the deep blue night sky.  A sliver of crescent moon stood like a regal queen among her tiny, sparkling subjects.

“I’m really going to miss this sight,” sighed Eleanora.  She stood in front of Yoosung, with his arms wrapped around her waist, her hands clasped over his.  The back of her head was resting lightly on his shoulder, and she could feel the delicious warmth of his breath as he took in the beautiful scent of her hair. 

“I’ll miss it too…but as far as I’m concerned, the best part of this place is coming home with me,” Yoosung said softly, just before dropping a sweet little kiss just above Eleanora’s ear.  She was almost certain she was going to melt into a puddle.  She turned around and reached her arms around his neck, allowing the fingers of one hand to comb into his hair.  She started to go for a kiss, but stopped short.

“Oh…I almost forgot.  No ‘excessive’ displays of affection allowed here.  I’m not sure if I started to kiss you right now that I’d be able to stop before we got ourselves in trouble.”  Eleanora said with a pout. 

At that moment, beautiful piano music began emanating from the nearby grand piano. 

Sitting on the bench was none other than Nasir!  Without his customary lab coat, he was wearing street clothes.  He beamed at the couple as he played with skill that must have been professional level.  The song was one Eleanora recognized, but couldn’t quite place.  It was beautiful and romantic.

The couple gawked in surprise at the unexpected performance.

“Wow...I didn’t know he was a musician,”  Yoosung said.

“He’s apparently a man of many talents.”  Eleanora observed.

Nasir glanced up at them from the piano keys.  With a laugh, he said, “Why don’t you kids stop discussing my talents, and make with the romance!  If you want to kiss, go ahead. Nobody’s watching, and I won’t tell if you won’t.  Go on, Yoosung—kiss that pretty girl!”

Eleanora stared at Nasir, with her eyes wide and mouth slightly opened in surprise. 

Yoosung didn’t miss a beat.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he mumbled as he pulled Eleanora close and, cupping his hand at the back of her head, pressed his lips to hers.  This kiss was different than any other Eleanora had experienced; it was aggressive and demanding, as if he were unabashedly claiming her as his own.  She instantly met his intensity, her mind swirling with fragmented thoughts and emotions—all of which revolved around how completely and madly she loved him.  His lips tasted sweet, with a hint of the champagne which had caused his inhibitions to evaporate as quickly as a summer rain on hot pavement.

The earth seemed to pause the rotation on its axis in this single, perfect moment.

As Nasir continued to play, Eleanora suddenly remembered the tune.  Slowly, she pulled away and looked up at Yoosung.  The song was nearly over, but she began to sing the last few lines of the lyrics.

> “And even if the sun refused to shine,
> 
> even if romance ran out of rhyme
> 
> …you will still have my heart,
> 
> until the end of time…
> 
> ’cause all I need is you, my Valentine. 
> 
> Oh...you’re all I need, my love, my Valentine.”
> 
> _(Author’s Note:  link to “Valentine” by Martina McBride and Jim Brickman:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMqIne65uHs>.  No copyright infringement intended.)_

Nasir watched with a big smile as he finished the last bars of the song’s end.  “My dear Eleanora, you have the most beautiful voice!” he exclaimed from behind the piano.

“Wow, honey…I didn’t know you could sing like that.  You never cease to amaze me.” Yoosung held her close.

Nasir began to play another song, and Eleanora smiled at the first few notes, because she instantly recognized it.  She put her arms around Yoosung’s neck, and slowly began to sway with the music. 

She then began to sing directly from her heart:

> “Love, come…Light up the shadows…Let the beauty of you enter in…For I have hungered for a tender touch…A long and lonely time
> 
> I've seen much more than I want to…So much anger so much pain…A line is drawn and lives are torn apart…The wounds too hard to hear
> 
> Love has taken me in, lifted my load…And in this empty place a wonder grows; a dream of some kind of peace I could hold up as true…I never knew anything about love before you
> 
> You call, and I come running…I can sense the flood before it breaks…And I'd do anything to dry your tears; to let you know you're safe
> 
> Love has taken me in, lifted my load…And in this empty place a wonder grows; a dream of some kind of peace I could hold up as true…I never know anything about love before you
> 
> Love, come, light up the shadows…Let me drink the beauty of you in…For I have hungered for a tender touch…A long and lonely time”
> 
> _(Author’s note:  link to “Love, Come” by Sarah McLachlan:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFXi1EiwbDQ>  No copyright infringement intended.)_

As she sang, she gazed directly in to Yoosung’s eyes.  Her fingers laced together loosely at the back of his neck.  He watched her as she sang for him, an expression of awestruck wonder frozen on his face.  Tears welled up in his eyes, and he did nothing to stop them from spilling over.  Eleanora gently swept each one away with her fingers as she continued to weave her love into her song to him.

When the song ended, Nasir played one more—a classical piece with no lyrics from a classic romance movie.  The couple continued to hold each other close, simply enjoying each other, the perfect romantic ambience, and the stunning view of the nighttime Dubai skyline.

Finally, the last song ended.  Eleanora and Yoosung walked over to the piano to meet Nasir as he was preparing to go home for the night. 

“That was amazing!"  Yoosung exclaimed as he shook Nasir's hand. 

"Well, I just happened to be here a little late this evening, working on some patient charts.  I decided to grab some dinner on the concourse, and saw the two of you over here.  Thought I'd add a little something extra to your evening.  I'm a semi-professional pianist with a local chamber orchestra.  There's not much of a classical music scene in Dubai, so I occasionally work out my chops by providing a little live entertainment on this magnificent instrument."  He gestured lovingly toward the beautiful grand piano.

Eleanora flung her arms around Nasir, hugging him tightly.  "Thank you so much…for everything,” she said, her voice cracking as an unexpected wave of emotion hit her.  

“No, _thank you_ , my dear.  The two of you have been truly inspiring for me.  I believe that you are that ‘once in a lifetime’ case that I’ll never, ever forget.  And I am thankful that I was lucky enough to be a part of your amazing journey. I'm happy that I was able to give the two of you a farewell gift on your last night here.  I'll truly miss you both, and I wish you all the best in your future together.”

After saying their goodbyes, Nasir left.

Soon, Yoosung and Eleanora were heading back to their room one last time.  Their bags were already packed; all they needed to do was to change clothes, then they would be leaving for the airport for their flight back to Seoul in just a few hours.


	14. Moonlight on Metal Wings

**Chapter 14: Moonlight on Metal Wings**

February 19  
2:41am

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now boarding Emirates flight 322, non-stop service to Incheon International, Seoul, South Korea.”  The gate attendant’s pleasant voice called over the intercom.  Eleanora started to stand up, but realized that there was something resting on her shoulder.  Glancing down and to her left, she was greeted by a mop of blonde hair and the sweet, sleeping face of her boyfriend nuzzled into her upper arm. 

“Sweetie…” she said softly. 

“Mmmhh….”

“Yoosung…darling, it’s time to board the plane,” she reached her right hand over and gently pushed back his hair.  His eyes were still closed.

“Huh?” he mumbled.

“Hey, sleepyhead…It’s time to get on the plane.  Come on, baby, wake up.  You can go right back to sleep once we’re in our seats.”

“Wha..?  Oh…okay…” he groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes.  Eleanora didn’t think he was any cuter than he was when he was waking up.  She smiled as she stood and gathered her purse and her carry-on bag, then turned to help Yoosung to his feet.

“Ready to go home?” she asked excitedly as she handed him his crutches.

“Yeah, but first I’m ready to sleep,” he replied with a yawn.

Soon, she was following behind him as he made his way down the service hallway to the door of the plane.

The jet was the largest Eleanora had ever seen, with two floors of passenger seating.  Yoosung and Eleanora were flying in business class, so their seats were on the upper deck.

Once on board the plane, they quickly found their seats.  Each seat had the capability of reclining fully to a flat position, like a bed.  There were pillows and blankets, a personal entertainment device, like a tablet, and a selection of drinks, snacks, and personal items on a small rack by each seat.

If this was business class, Eleanora was curious to know what first class was like.  This level of luxury was a stark contrast to the medical service charter jet that had transported them to Dubai a month prior.

There was a privacy partition between the seats, which Eleanora lowered.  She then helped Yoosung into his seat, getting him settled in with a blanket and pillow.  She then took her place next to him.  Within seconds, she was busily fidgeting nervously with the reading light, air vent, and other accoutrement available at her seat.

“Are you okay, Eleanora?”  Yoosung suddenly asked her.  He knew what it meant when she started fidgeting.

“Me?  Yeah…I’m alright.  Why do you ask?”  Eleanora was, in fact, quite nervous.  She absolutely _hated_ flying.  It wasn’t so much that she was afraid of heights—she just hated the idea of being in what essentially amounts to a tin can, hurtling through the air at breakneck speeds with no visible connection to _terra firma_.  She thought she was doing a good job of concealing her nervousness, _but_ …

“You seem a little tense.  Are you nervous?”  Yoosung, who could see right through her brave front, reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

“Yeah, maybe a little.  I hate flying.”  She confessed.  Eleanora tried to remember their previous flight, but so much was happening at the time, that it all seemed like a distant blur.  Things were very different then. 

“I don’t really like flying, either.  I hate takeoffs and landings, but I’m alright while we’re in the air,” explained Yoosung.

“That’s how I am, too,” Eleanora agreed, “At least this cabin is nice and big.  It’s so much worse when the plane is tiny and cramped, on top of everything else I hate about flying.”

“How long is this flight supposed to be?” asked Yoosung.

Eleanora referred to the flight itinerary.  “Looks like just under eight and a half hours.  I’m so glad Jumin was able to get us a nonstop flight.  Transfers and layovers are a real pain.  When I flew from America to Korea, I had two connecting flights—one in Dallas, and another in Seattle.  My luggage got put on the wrong flight in Dallas, and it took a full week for them to find it and get it to me.”

“Wow…that sounds rough.  Especially since you were starting over in a new country, and not knowing anyone.”  Yoosung said sympathetically.

“Yeah, it was really hard,” Eleanora said.  She then reached for Yoosung’s hand.  “ _But_ …you know what, baby?  It was all a part of the road that led me to you….so it was all worth it.  _Every bit of it_.”

The smile that spread across Yoosung’s face made Eleanora melt inside.  He lifted her hand to his lips, and kissed the backs of her fingers.

“I love you, my sweet Eleanora.” 

“I love you _more_.” Eleanora countered with a sly wink.

Yoosung stifled a giggle behind his trademark adorable smile.  “Wanna bet?”

 

* * *

 3:34am

 

“Attention, ladies and gentlemen.  This is your captain speaking.  We’ll be taking off shortly, heading non-stop to Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea.  It looks like we’ve got clear skies for the entire length of our trip, with a slight chance of rain around the time of our arrival in Seoul.  We are scheduled for arrival at 4:50pm, local time, or about eight and a half hours from now.  This is accounting for travel across five time zones, which means that we’ll moving five hours forward at our destination.  If there is anything our crew can do to make your flight more pleasant, please don’t hesitate to let your attendant know.  We hope you enjoy your flight, and on behalf of Air Emirates, we thank you for flying with us tonight.”

The jet engines roared to life, and the plane began moving forward, faster and faster, until the bright lights of the runway began to fall away beneath the aircraft.  The distant city skyscrapers became smaller as the plane rose into the night sky.  As Eleanora watched Dubai get smaller and more distant, she felt a tiny twinge of heartache.  She had grown quite fond of the magical desert city on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

Once the jet reached cruising altitude and passengers were allowed to recline their seats, Yoosung laid his seat back and quickly fell asleep, holding Eleanora’s hand.  Eleanora, too keyed up to sleep, decided to watch a movie.  As luck would have it, one of her personal favorite Audrey Hepburn movies, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was among the available selections.  She felt a little guilty watching it without Yoosung, but she knew that they would soon have the chance to watch it together. 

Once the movie was over, she was relaxed enough to catch a short nap just as the sun was rising.

 

* * *

 


	15. Homecoming

**Chapter 15: Homecoming**

February 19th  
4:39pm

 

Eleanora watched the ground coming closer and closer through the window, her anxiety building once again.  She felt a gentle hand on her arm.

Yoosung leaned over and spoke softly into her ear, “don’t be afraid, baby.  It’s okay…”  

She looked at him and smiled.  “I know.  I’ll just feel better when we’re on the ground.”

Despite her best efforts to seem brave, she grabbed Yoosung’s hand and cringed just as the wheels of the plane made contract with the ground.  The cabin vibrated slightly as the brakes worked to slow the plane’s forward momentum.  Eleanora relaxed once the aircraft was slowly making its way through the taxiway to the gate.

The skies were overcast, and it looked like it could rain at any moment, but the view was incomparable—it was just dark enough for the lights of the city to be seen, yet it was just light enough to still be able to see the misty outlines of the mountains beyond. 

“Can you believe we’re really here?  We’re almost home, sweetie!”  Eleanora was feeling giddy after the adrenaline rush she experienced during landing. 

“It doesn’t seem real yet, but I feel happy anyway,” Yoosung said as he gazed out the window, smiling.

Once the plane was docked at the gate, Eleanora collected their carry-on baggage.  The flight attendant brought Yoosung’s crutches—which they had brought along just in case, though Yoosung was loathe to use them—and they were soon moving down the boarding hallway toward the terminal.

“It looks like it’s going to be a bit of a walk to the baggage claim area.  Are you sure you don’t want to ride in a wheelchair?”  Eleanora suggested, as she took the handles of a nearby wheelchair meant for passengers to use in the airport.

“I told you last night, I don’t _need_ one.  I can get around just fine,” Yoosung said defiantly.

“I know you _can_ , sweetie.  The question is whether you _should_.  You wore yourself out last night--to the point that you needed a pain pill, and I’m worried that you might overdo it and really hurt yourself.  Dr. Hammond and Nasir _both_ warned you about this.”

“ _Eleanora_ …” a tiny hint of a whine was apparent in the way he said her name.  His frown was complete with a slightly puffed out bottom lip.  He was pulling out all of the stops. 

He had gotten very good at using his cuteness as a way to win her over, and she almost relented.  However, this was a battle between what would make him happy in the short-term, and what was for his own safety and well-being in the long-term.  As powerful as his cuteness was, she knew she had to stand her ground on this particular argument.

Eleanora stepped close, cupped Yoosung’s face in her hands, and looked directly into his eyes.  “Please, Yoosung…don’t be so stubborn!  I love that about you, in most cases--but in this particular situation, I think the risk you’re taking outweighs any benefit you might get from doing things the hard way.  You don’t have to prove yourself, not to me, or anyone else.”

Yoosung looked downward, frowning.  Eleanora moved in a bit closer, lowering herself before looking up so that she could meet his downcast gaze.

 _“I wuv you,”_ she said in her cutest cutesy voice.  “Baby, I’m just trying to keep you safe.  Do this for me, _pweeease_?”  She poked out her bottom lip in a playful, pleading expression.  Yoosung wasn't the only one who could use cuteness as a weapon.

Rolling his eyes, Yoosung stifled a smile.  “Hmph.  Fine, I’ll ride in the stupid wheelchair, but _only_ because you asked nicely…and because you’re so incredibly cute…”  He leaned in and gave Eleanora a quick kiss on the nose.

“Hey, you missed…try a little lower.” she retorted as she quickly tiptoed to meet his lips with hers.

With a slight pout, Yoosung sat in the wheelchair, resting the crutches on the footrest and holding them to his side.   Eleanora pushed him down the long hallway to the other end of the terminal.  From there, it was another long trek down a connecting passageway to the baggage claim area.  As they entered the open area near the baggage belts, Eleanora saw a familiar face.

 _“Jaehee!"_ Eleanora squeaked with excitement.  "Look, honey, it’s Jaehee!” she squealed happily as she hurried toward the smiling brunette.

Eleanora threw her arms around her best friend.  Yoosung got up from the wheelchair, and joined the embrace.

“It’s so good to see you, Yoosung!  You look great!” Jaehee beamed at Yoosung. 

The room was rapidly becoming crowded with passengers, so they quickly gathered the baggage onto a cart that Jaehee had the brilliant forethought to acquire beforehand, and they slowly made their way to the taxi lane out front.  Attendants helped load the baggage into a taxi van, and the three of them got into the vehicle.  Jaehee sat in the front seat, while Eleanora and Yoosung occupied the back.

“Where to?” asked the driver.  Jaehee gave him the address.  Eleanora frowned as she overheard the exchange.

“Wait a minute…Jaehee, that’s not the address to my apartment,” Eleanora said hesitantly.

“Just…wait and see…” Jaehee smiled as she answered, albeit in an uncharacteristically hesitant and imprecise manner.

 

* * *

 

5:36pm

 

Twenty minutes later, they were standing outside an apartment building just two blocks from the SKY University campus.  Jaehee led the way inside, helping Eleanora move a cart loaded with luggage, while Yoosung followed on his crutches.  They rode the elevator to the 7th floor, then made their way down the hallway to the unit at the far end.  Jaehee then produced a set of keys from her pocket, and unlocked the door.  

Inside, was a small but cozy living room, furnished simply but stylishly, with a sofa, TV, bookshelf and table.  A large window offered a lovely view of the city skyline, ablaze with bright lights that cast a warm glow on the low-hanging rain clouds.  The Han River was a sparkling ribbon in the distance. 

Just off the living area was a small, but well-arranged kitchen.

Down a short hallway, two doors on either side faced each other, with one door at the end of the hallway leading to a comfortably sized bathroom.  The door on the left led to a beautifully decorated room.

“Eleanora, this is your room.  I hope you like the décor—I chose a style I thought you’d like,” Jaehee explained. 

Eleanora stood speechless for a moment, staring in disbelief at the room, decorated in shades of ivory and pale green.  Large windows looked out over the beautiful grounds of the nearby university. 

“Its…perfect…I’m just…wow…” Eleanora stammered, clearly in shock.

“Across the hall is Yoosung’s room.  We thought it best, for the time being, if you each had your own rooms.  It was also the most practical option, since we needed space for all of his things that were in storage.”  Jaehee led them to the other bedroom across the hall.

Yoosung’s room was set up very similarly to the room he had at his previous apartment.  His desk, books, and computer were set up almost exactly as he left them.

“Wow…it’s almost like I never left.  Except the view is a lot better.  And it's great to be so close to school!  And, did you see the pizza place right across the street?!”  The excitement in Yoosung’s voice was almost palpable.  Eleanora stood behind him, placing her hand lovingly on his back.  Her heart was overflowing...with joy, love, gratitude, and a million other emotions she couldn't quite define.

To Jaehee, she said, “This apartment is amazing.  But…what is all of this about?  We weren’t expecting…any of this…”

Jaehee explained, “Well, it’s kind of a surprise.  A homecoming gift, if you will.  It was a joint venture from all of us in the RFA.  Every one of us contributed to this effort.  The decision was made that, because your apartment was way too small for two people, we would get you a larger one.  All expenses are paid through the next six months.” 

 _“_ No way.. _.are you serious?"_   Yoosung said, wide-eyed in shock.  Eleanora put her hand to her mouth, before pressing her face into Yoosung’s arm as she burst into tears.  He turned to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly.

 _“I…I…can’t…believe it…Oh my God.  Yoosung…”_   Eleanora said through her sobs.

“I know, baby, me too..." Yoosung cooed to her as he stroked her back.

Jaehee also reached out to Eleanora, hugging her tightly. 

With tears in her eyes, she explained, “We are all so happy to have both of you back at home, together and safe.  We wanted to do all that we could to give the two of you a good start in your new life together.” 

Jaehee placed the keys to the apartment on a nearby table.  “I know the two of you must be exhausted after such a long trip, so I’m going to go back to the office now.  I still have a few things to wrap up for Mr. Han before I can call it a day.  I brought over some fresh groceries this morning, and there is plenty of food in the pantry.  Oh, and Mr. Han asked me to tell you that the credit card he gave you to use while you were staying in Dubai is still active, and you can use it get anything you need.  We’re hoping to get everyone together in the next day or two, once you’ve had a chance to rest up from the trip."

Eleanora stepped back slightly from Yoosung’s embrace, and dabbed at her face with a tissue.  She then gave Jaehee a big hug.  “Thank you,” she whispered.

Yoosung then gave Jaehee a hug.  “This means so much to us,” he added.

Soon, Yoosung and Eleanora were standing alone in the living room of their very own apartment.  Eleanora slipped her arms around Yoosung’s waist, and laid her head against his chest. 

“Welcome home, baby…” she said, as her joy and gratitude threatened to overwhelm her entirely.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! 
> 
> That's it for volume two of this series. 
> 
> Volume three is in the works, and a fourth is in development!
> 
> I truly hope you enjoyed this story! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!
> 
> Love and hugs to my wonderful readers! <3

**Author's Note:**

> FEEDBACK IS WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED!!! 
> 
> I'm super self-conscious about my writing, so encouraging words (if I'm doing it right) or constructive criticism (if I can do better) will help me out immensely! 
> 
> Thank you for reading my works... I love my readers!


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